EX
9047
L73
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
GENERAL LIBRARY
Luvingstone, Johnn
A brief histones relation of
m
Life of Mr Jonagstone
1154
( 3 )
H E Jafe
Life of Mr. JOHN LIVINGSTON.
M
Y Father was Mr. William Livingſton, firſt mi-
niſter at Monybroch*, where he entred in the
Year 1600, and thereafter was tranfported a-
bout the Year 1614, to be miniſter at Lanerk, where he
died in the Year 1641, being 65 Years old. His Father
was Mr. Alexander Livingston, alfo at Monybroch, who
was a near relation to the Houſe of Calender. His Father
was killed at Pinkiefield, Anno 1547, being a foldier of
my Lord Livingſton's Regiment, who thereafter was dig-
nified to be Earl of Linlithgow. My Father was ftraight
and zealous in the work of Reformation, and for his non-
fubmiffier to the Canons and Cercinonies, was depofed and
deprived of his miniftry both at Monybroch, and alfo at
Lanerk.
<
My mother Annes ng fton, daughter of Alexa
ander Livingſton Portionen of C of the houfe of Du-
nipace, the was a rate Pattern of Godlinefs and virtue.
She died in the year 1617, being about 32 years of age,
She left 3 fons and 4 daughters. I was born in Afonybroch,
in Stirling-fhire the 21 of June 1603
PERIOD
The first period of my life, I reckon front my birth to
the day I firft preached in publick, which was in January
2d 1825. Having at home learned to read and write; I
was fent in the year 1613 to Stirling to a Latin ſchool,
with Mr. William Wallace a good man and a learned hu-
manity-fchoolmafter; where I ftaid till fummer rẻn 7, ật
which tune I was fent for, to be prefent with my mother
A 2
The fame as Killyth.
dying
$
( 4 )
dying. October 1617. I was fent to the College of Glaf-
gow, where I ftayed four years: I paffed Mr. of Arts July
1621. After that I ſtayed in my father's in Lanerk till I
began to preach. During this time I obferved the Lord's
great goodneſs, that I was born of fuch parents, who taught
me fomewhat of God fo foon as I was capable to underſtand
any thing; I had great fears about my falvation when I was
but very young; I had the advantage of the acquaintance
and example of many gracious Chriftians, who ufed to refort.
to my father's houſe, eſpecially at communion-occafions:
fuch as Mr. Robert Bruce, and feveral other godly mini-
fters, the rare Countess of Wigtoun, lady Lillias Graham,
who alfo at my baptifm defired my name, becauſe her father,
her husband and eldeſt fon were all of that name; the lady
Culross, the lady Barnton, and fundry others. It is re-
markable, that Mr. William Wallace came but a ſhort
while to Stirling before I was ſent thither to ſchool, and the
year after I left the ſchool, he alfo left that charge: Like-
wife worthy Mr. Robert Boyd of Throchridge, was but
lately come from Somer in France, to be Principal in the
College of Glaſgow when I went thither, and went from
the College the year after I left it. The while I was in
Stirling, Mr. Patrick Simpſon was minifter there, a man
learned, godly and very faithful in the caufe of God; and
in Glasgow, I heard Mr. John Bell a grave ferious man,
and Mr. Robert Scot, who alfo was once depofed for op*
pofing the corruptions of the time. The first year I went
to Stirling ſchool I profited not much, and was often
beaten by the Schoolmafter, and it happened that one day,
when he had beaten me on the check with a ſtick, fo that
it fwelled, that fame day my Father came occafionally to
town, and feeing my face fwoln chode with the maſter.
that he had a chier hand to bring him to that place, and
fhould he uſe me fo? the maſter promifed to forbear beating
of me, and I profited a great deal more in my learning after
that; and when about September 1616. I with the reſt of
my equals, had gone through all the Latin and Greek that
was taught in the fchool, and fo were ready to go to the
college, and my father came to bring me home for that
end }
( 5 )
end; the fchoolmafter prevailed with my father, I being
fo young, and the mafter having hopes of my proficiency,
that I ſhould ſtay yet one other year, and thus another boy
and I ſtayed another year. We for the moſt part read by
ourfelves in a little chamber above the ſchool, the mafter
furniſhing us books, where we went through moft part of
the choice Latin Writers, both Poets and others, and that
year was to me the large moſt profitable year I had at the
fchools, only in my third year at the college of Glafgow,
I read more than I think I did any year fince: I was then
under the overfight of precious Mr. Robert Blair, who for
two years was my Regent: and having gotten fome ground-
ing in the logicks and metaphyficks, and the fubtilties.of
the ſchool-men, a vain defire to be above my equals,
prompted me to more diligence. In many things whereunto
my mind was very bent, the Lord often difappointed me,
and always to my greater advantage. After I had paffed
my degrees in the college, I had a great mind to the ſtudy of
the clafficks, and therefore was defirous to ſpend fome time
as Regent in the college, and for that end, a place being
vacant in the college of Glasgow, I ftudied hard and pre-
pared to difpute for the place, but when the time came I
heard that one without any difpute was placed. Becaufe in
the winter of my laft year at the college, I had been long
detained under phyficians or chirurgeons with a fiftula in my
leg, in which time Mr. Robert Boyd had taught the reft in
my clafs fome Hebrew; being grieved at that lofs, I began
in my father's houfe by my private ſtudy to attain to fome
knowledge of the Hebrew, which thereafter by time I
fomewhat encreaſed.
-
2
I do not remember the time or means particularly
whereby the Lord at firſt wrought upon my heart; when I
was but very young I would fometimes pray with fome
feeling, and read the word with delight; but thereafter
did often intermit any fuch exercife; I would have fome
challenges and begin, and again intermit. I remember the
firſt time that ever I communicated at the Lord's table
was in Stirling, when I was at ſchool, where fitting at the
table, and Mr. Patrick Simpſon exhorting before the
diſtri-.
(6)
diftribution, there came fuch a trembling upon me that all
my body fhook, yet thereafter the fear and trembling de-
parted, and I got fome comfort and affurance. I had no
inclination to the miniſtry, till a year or more after I had
paſſed my degrees in the college, and that upon this occa-
lion; I had a bent defire to give myſelf to the knowledge
and practice of medicine, I was very earneſt to go to France
for that purpoſe, and propounded it to my father, that I
might obtain his confent, but he refuſed the fame.
Alfo about the fame time, my father having before
purchaſed fome land in the parifh of Monybroch, the rights
whereof were taken in my name, and that land by ill
neighbours being in a manner laid waſte, and Sir William
Livingston of Kilsyth one of the lords of feffion, being very
defirous to buy that land, that he might build a burgh of
barony upon it at Burnſide, my father propounded that I
ſhould go and dwell on that land and marry; but finding that
that courſe would divert me from all ſtudy of learning, I re-
fuſed that offer, and rather agreed to the felling of it, altho'
I was not yet major to ratify the fale. Now being in theſe
ftraits, I refolved, that I would ſpend a day my alone before
God, and knowing of a fecret cave on the fouth-fide of
Moufe-water, a little above the houfe of Jervifwood, over
against Clegorn-wood, I went thither, and after many to's
and free, and much confufion, and fear about the ſtate of
my foul, I thought it was made out to me, that I behoved
to preach Chrift Jefus, which if I did not, I ſhould have
no affurance of falvation. Upon this I laid afide all thoughts
of France, and medicine, and land, and betook me to the
ftudy of divinity.
I was from my infancy bred with an averfion to epifcopacy
and ceremonies. While I was in the college of Glasgow
in the year 1619, being as I think, the firft year that
kneeling at the communion was brought in there, I being
with two or three more of the young men at the college,
fet down among the people at the table, and Mr. James
Law the pretended bishop of Glasgow coming to celebrate
the communion, he urged all the people to fall down and
kneel; fome did fo, we fat ftill; he came to us commanding
us
(1)
as to kneel or to depart: fomewhat I ſpoke to him, but
do not remember perfectly what I faid, it was to this pur-
poſe; That there was no warrant for kneeling, and for
want of it, we ought not to be excommunicated from the
table of the Lord. He caufed fome of the people about
us to rife that we might have place to remove, which we
did; The next day the Principal Mr. Robert Boyd called
me to him, and faid, within two or three weeks, he would
celebrate the communion at Govan, for he was minifter at
Govan, and defired me that whom I knew to be well af-
fected of the young men of the college, I would bring with
me to him; altho' he was a man of a four-like difpofition
and carriage, I always found him fo kind and familiar as
made me wonder: fometimes he would call me with other
three or four, and lay down books before us, and have us
fing tunes of mufick, wherein he took great delight. The
firſt Chriſtian acquaintance and fociety whereby I got any
benefit, was with a religious gentleman William Cunningham
tutor of Bonytoun, who uſed to be oft at my father's houſe,
feveral times he and John Wier of Stockbridges, Alexander
Tenant, James Wier, George Matthew, and David
Matthew, who were Rackmen, would meet in my chamber
in Lanerk, where we ufed to spend fome time in conference
and prayer.
J
PERIOD IId.
**
•
The ſecond period of my life, I reckon from the time I
preached in publick,till the time I was fettled in the miniſtry
in Killinchie in Ireland, for having begun to preach in
January 1625, I continued in my father's houfe in Lanerk,
and for the space of an year and an half or fome more, I
ftudied there, and preached fometimes there, and fometimes
in neighbouring kirks, during which time I wrote all my
fermons before I preached them word by word, till one day
being to preach after the communion of Quodquan, and
having in readineſs only a fermon which I had preached one
day before in another kirk, and perceiving feverals to be
at Quodquan, who had been at the other kirk, I refolved
to chufe a new text, and having but little time, wrote only
jonic notes of the heads I was to deliver, yet I found at
that
( 8 )
A
that time, more affiftance in the enlarging of theſe points,
and more motion in my own heart, than ever I had found
before, and after that I never wrote all at length, but only
notes.
About April 1626, I was fent for by my lord Kenmure to
come to Galloway, in reference to a call to the pariſh of
Anwoth, which at that time was not a pariſh by itſelf, but
a part of another, neither had a church builded; they
offered before Auguſt next, "to have it disjoined, a church
built, and a ſtipend fettled, and defired that I would ſtay
there in the mean time: I was not willing to ftay at that
time, there being no appearance that I could preach in the
mean time: therefore they defired, if they got theſe things
performed before Auguft, that upon a call I would return
thereunto; I condefcended, but fome difficulties coming
in the way, they got hot theſe things fo foon done, and
therefore in harveſt firſt I hearkned to a call to Torphicben,
but thereafter the Lord provided a great deal better for
them, for they got that worthy fervant of Jefus Chrift
Mr. Samuel Rutherford, whoſe praiſe is in all the reformed
churches; and I obferved afterwards, that feveral parishes
whereunto I had a motion of a call were difappointed, either
by obstruction from the bifhops, or thereafter by the general
affembly's refufing to tranſport: yet theſe pariſhes were far
better provided; For Lieth got Mr. David Forreft, Kir-
kaldy got Mr. Robert Douglass, Glasgow got precious Mr.
·James Durham; Antrum in Ireland got Mr. Archibald
Ferguson, Newton there got Mr. John Greg, and Kil
linchie there got Mr. Michael Bruce. The fhort time
I was in Galloway I got acquaintance with my lord Ken-
mure and his religious lady, and feveral worthy experienced
chriftians, as Alexander Gordon of Eariftoun, Alexander
Gordon of Knockgray, Alexander Gordon of Knockbreck,
John his brother, and Alexander Gordon of Garlurk,
John Gordon of Barfkeoch, the laird of Careltoun, Tuller-
toun, John M'adam and Chriſtian Madam of Waterhead,
Marion Mcnaught in Kirkudbright, and feveral other
for I preached at a communion in Borgue, where were
many good people that came out of Kirkudbright, and-wits,
at
( ૭ 9 )
)
at fomie private meetings with fome of the forementioned
in Garlurk,`` and in the Airds, where Earlftoun then
dwelt.
In harveſt 1626 I was defired by my lord Torphichen,
to come to his houſe in Calder, and being defired by the
aged minifter of Torphichen, to preach there; after two
or three weeks, the presbytery of Linlithgow kept a vi-
fitation in that church, where I got a joint call by the
parish and presbytery, and the old minifter, and by my
lord Torphichen patron of the parifh and mafter of the
land, to be minifter there. The old miniſter died within
a month or two; I preached there a whole year, and
found ſeveral times the Lord's prefence with me in preach-
ing, otherways than I had found before. Means were
uſed by the parish and the lord Torphichen, that I might
be ordained. The presbytery, altho' fome of them were
but corrupt men, fhewed themſelves willing thereunto è
but Mr. John Spotswood pretended biſhop of St. Andrews
ftopped all becaufe of my non-conformity; and when the
earl of Linlithgow, lotd Torphichen and ſome others, dealt
with him on my behalf, (for even at that time fome few by
moyen, were fuffered to enter into the miniftry withouɛ,
conformity) he pretended that notwithſtanding of my non-
conformity, he should not hinder, my entrance in fome
other place but that was promiſed to one Mr. George
Hanna, who thereafter was intruded upon that poor people;
and the report went, that either Mr. George, or his brother
Mr. James, had given the biſhop, or fome about him, 500
merks Scots, to get that place. This oppofition and fear
of diſappointment, made the people more defirous to hear
the word; and this defire to hcar, I thought made, that
the Lord furniſhed the more to be preached to them, ef-
pecially toward the end: for, about October 1627, the
presbytery of Linlithgow wrote to me, to defift from
preaching any more at Torphichen, and I found the two.
or three laſt Sabbaths I preached there, the sweeteft Sab-
baths, altho' forrowful, that I had feen in that place.
When I was thus forced to leave, Torphichen, and was
refolved to return to my father's houſe in Lanerk, and had-
B
only
( 10 )
anly gone to take my leave of my uncle William Livingſton
in Falkirk, being anxious about the cafe of Torphichen,
and my own want of imployment, when I had fent away
before me to Lanerk the boy that waited on me and kept
my horſe, being minded within half an hour to follow, I
got letters from the countess of Wigtoun from Gùmbernauld,
(that was fix miles diſtant)defiring that I would come thither
to be prefent with her mother the countefs of Linlithgow
who was a-dying, and had been all her days a Papiſt, but
fome while before had deferted that religion. When I
came thither, the earl of Wigtoun and fhe propounded,
That (feeing their houſe was fix miles from their pariſh
church, and ſeveral of their tenants might come to hear
fermon in their houfe; and that it was but 10 or 12 miles.
diftant from Torphichen, and ſo ſome of them alſo might
come) I would ſtay with them, and, at leaft in the
winter-time, preach in the hall of Cumbernauld to the
family and fuch as came, until other occafion of imployment
offered: whereunto I condefcended. Thus until Auguſt
1630, at which time I went to Ireland; I continued more
than two years and a half moſt part in the houſe of the
carl of Wigtoun, and fometimes with my father in Lanerk.
Moft part of theſe fummers I was travelling from place to
place, according as I got invitations to preach, and efpeci-
ally at communions in Lanerk, Irvine, New-milns, Kin-
niel, Culrofs, Larber, and the Shots, and feveral other
places: I preached fometimes alfo at Glasgow for Mr.
Robert Scot. He died the 28 of January 1629. I was
with him ſeveral times on his death-bed. One time in
prefence of many, fpeaking of the bishops and ceremonies,
he faid, "Their wicked and corrupt courſes my ſoul ab-
horrs, and my comfort is that God hath withheld me from
them; if God lengthen my days, I fhall not be fo fparing
as I have been to gain eafe I have diſhonoured God:
and a little before his death, having lain fome while in a
kind of trance, he awaked, and taking off his night-cap,
threw it to the, bed-foot, and cryed out, "I have now
feen the Lord, and heard him fay,
my faithful fervant Mr. Robert Scot."
while he died.
Make way for
And after a fhort
The
( II )
The pariſh of Shots bordered on the pariſh of Torphichen,
where they fometimes reforted, and I was feveral times.
invited by Mr. John Hance 'minifter of Shots to preach
there. In that place I uſed to find more liberty in preaching
than elſewhere; yea, the only day in all my life wherein
I found moſt of the preſence of God in preaching, was on
a Monday after the communion, preaching in the church-
yard of Shots, June 21. 1630. The night before, I had
been with ſome chriſtians, who ſpent the night in prayer
and conference. When I was alone in the fields about 8
or 9 of the clock in the morning, before we were to go to
fermon, there came fuch a mifgiving of fpirit upon me,
confidering my unworthineſs and weakneſs, and the multi-
tude and expectation of the people, that I was confulting with
myſelf to have ſtolen away fomewhere, and declined that
day's preaching, but that I thought I durft not fo far diſtruſt
God, and fo went to fermon, and got good affiftance about
an hour and a half upon the points which I had meditated on
Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26. Then will I fprinkle clean water
upon you, and ye ſhall be clean: from all your filthinefs, and
from all your idols will I cleanſe you. A new heart alfo
will I give you, and a new fpirit will I put within you, and
I will take away the ftony heart out of your flesh, and I will
give you an heart of fleſh:" And in the end, offering to cloſe
with fome words of exhortation, I was led on about an
hour's time, in a ſtrain of exhortation and warning, with
fuch liberty and melting of heart, as I never had the like
in publick all my life-time. Some little of that ſtamp remained
on the Thurſday after when I preached in Kilmarnock; but
the very Monday following, preaching in Irvine, I was
fo deferted, that the points I had meditated and written,
and had them fully in my memory, I was not for my heart
able to get them pronounced. So it pleafed the Lord to
counterballance his dealings, and hide pride from man.
This fo difcouraged me, that I was upon refolution for
fome time, not to preach, at leaſt not in Irvine; but Mr.
David Dickfon would not fuffer me to go from thence till
I preached the next Sabbath, To get (as he expreffed it)
amends
B 2
(
amends of the devil: and fo I ftayed and preached with
fome tolerable freedom.
By reafon of this going from place to place, in fummer
time, I got acquaintance with many of the godly and able
minifters and profeffors of Scotland; which proved to me
a great advantage. The minifters chiefly were, Meffrs.
Robert Bruce, who had been miniſter in Edinburgh, John
Scrimgeour, who had been at Kinghorn, John Chalmers
of Auchterdean, John Dykes of Anftruther, William Scot
of Cowper, Alexander Henderſon of Leuchars, Jobn Row
of Carnock, John Ker of Preftonpans, James Greg of
New-milns, John Fergufhil of Ochiltree, Robert Scot of
Glasgow, James Ingles of Dalzel, and fome others; and
of profeffors, William Rigg of Athernie, the lairds of
Halbill, Crosshill, Cunningham-head, Geffnock, and
Rowallen, John Stuart provoſt of Air, William Roger
merchant there, John Mein merchant in Edinburgh, John
Hamilton apothecary there, James Murray writer there,
the counteffes of Eglintoun, and Lowdon, the ladies Boyd,
Robertland, Culross her ſiſter, Monwhanny, Halbill, Raith,
Innertail, and many others; the memory of whom is very
precious and refreſhing, I got not much read, nor any
fettled ftudy followed all that time; only fome touches
here and there of fundry both ancient and modern divines.
Thoſe whereby Į profited moſt were the fermons of Mr.
Robert Rollock, Mr. Robert Bruce, Mr. Jo. Welſh, and
Mr. David Dickſon, whom I thought of all that I had
read, breathed moſt of the Spirit of God, were beſt affected,
and moſt clear, plain and powerful: Several of Mr. Ro-
bert Rollick's fermons are in print; I got in loan from John
Stuart in Air, a large book of fermons of Mr. Welſh's, in
which are almoft nothing but unfolding of the inward exer-
eife of a chriſtian. Mr. Robert Bruce I ſeveral times heard,
and in my opinion never man fpake with greater power
fince the Apoſtles days; there are five or fix of his fermons
printed; but the chief that I faw, were fome written
preachings of his which I got from my father; and Mr.'
David Dickfon I often heard, and borrowed from Crosshill,
feveral
( 13 )
Several of his written fermons. Several motions were
made of calls to churches during this time; as to Linlith-
gow, North-Lieth and Kirkaldy, in which places, upon invi-
tation, I preached in reference to a call, but all were
obſtructed by the Biſhops.
PERIOD III.
The third-period of my life, from the time I entred to
the miniſtry in Killinchie in Ireland, till I was fettled
miniſter at Stranrawer in Galloway 1633. In fummer
1630 being in Irvine, Mr. Robert Cunningham miniſter
at Holywood in Ireland, and fome while before that Mr.
George Dumbar minifter at Lern in Ireland propounded
to me, feeing there was no appearance I could enter into
the miniſtry in Scotland, whether or not I would be content
to go to Ireland? `I anſwered them both, if I got a clear
call and a free entry, I would not refuſe. About Auguft
1630, I got letters from the viſcount Clanniboy to come
to Ireland, in reference to a call to Killinchie, whither I
went, and got an unanimous call from the parish: and, be-
caufe it was needful that I fhould be ordained to the mi-
niſtry, and the biſhop of Down, in whofe dioceſe Killinchie
was, being a corrupt humorous man, and would require
fome engagement; therefore my lord Clanniboy ſent fome
with me, and wrote to Mr. Andrew Knox biſhop of Rapho
who, when I came and had delivered the letters from my
lord Cannibay and from the earl of Wigtoun and fome o
thers, that I had for that purpoſe brought out of Scotland,
told me he knew my errand, That I came to him be-
cauſe I had fcruples againſt epifcopacy and ceremonies,
according as Mr. Jofas Welsh and fome others had done
before; and that he thought his old age was prolonged
for little other purpoſe but to do fuch offices: That if I
fcrupled to call him My Lord, he cared not much for it;
all he would defire of me, becauſe they got there but
few fermons, that I would preach at Ramallen the first
Sabbath, and that I would fend for Mr. Cunningham, and
two or three other neighbouring minifters to be prefent,
who after fermon fhould give me impofition of hands; but
altho' they performed the work, he behoved to be prefent;
and
( 14 )
[
and altho' he durft not anfwer it to the State, he gave me
the book of ordination, and defired that any thing I fcrupled
at, I ſhould draw a line over it on the margin, and that Mr.
Cunningham fhould not read it: but I found that it had
been fo marked by fome others before, that I needed not
mark any thing: fo the Lord was pleafed to carry that
buſineſs far beyond any thing that I had thought or almoſt
ever defired. That Winter following I was often in great
heaviness, for altho' the people were very tractable, yet
they were generally very ignorant, and I faw no appearance
of doing any good among them, yet it pleaſed the Lord
that in a fhort time fome of them began to underſtand
fomewhat of their condition. The bishop of Down had
an ill eye upon me becauſe I had gone elſewhere to receive
ordination, and at a vifitation at Down, in the Spring
following, whither I went much againſt my will, but Mr.
Blair and Mr. Cunningham drew me, ſaying, my ſtaying
away would procure more trouble. The bishop asked me
in prefence of all the minifters, what was my judgment
of the fervice-book? my anfwer fo difpleafed him, that
there was fome appearance I might fhortly be cenfured,
but my lord Clanniboy prevailed with him that I ſhould be
forborn, the parish of Killinchie being looked upon but
as a pendicle of another parish, viz. Killileach, there
was never any official court kept in it all the while I was
there. Not only had we publick worship free of any
inventions of men, but we had alfo a tolerable difcipline;
for after I had been fome while among them, by the
advice of the heads of families, fome ableft for that charge
were chofen elders, to overſee the manners of the reſt,
and fome deacons to gather and diftribute the collections.
We met every week, and fuch as fell into notorious publick
fcandals, we defired to come before us, fuch as came were
dealt with both in publick and private to confefs their
fcandal, in prefence of the congregation, at the Saturday's
fermon before the communion, which was celebrated twice
in the year: fuch as after dealing would not come before
us, or coming would not be convinced to acknowledge
their fault before the congregation, upon the Saturday
preceeding
( 15 )
preceeding the communion, their names, ſcandals and
impenitency were read out before the congregation, and
they debarred from the communion; which proved ſuch a
terror that we found very few of that fort. We needed
not to have the communion oftner, for there were nine
or ten parishes within the bounds of twenty miles or little
more, wherein there were godly and able miniſters, that
kept a ſociety together, and every one of theſe had the
communion twice a year, at different times, and had two
or three of the neighbouring minifters to help thereat,
and moſt part of the religious people uſed to refort to
the communions of the rest of the parifhes. Theſe mi-
niſters were Meffrs. Robert Blair at Banger, Robert Gun-
ningham at Holywood, James Hamilton at Ballywater,
John Ridge at Antrum, Henry Colwort at old Stow,
George Dunbar at Lern, Fofias Welſh at Temple-Patrick,
Andrew Stuart at Dunagor; moſt of all theſe uſed or-
dinarily to meet the firft Friday of every month at Antrum,
where was a great and good congregation, and that day
was ſpent in faſting and prayer, and publick preaching :
commonly two preached every forenoon, and two in the
afternoon: we uſed to come together the Thurſday's night
before, and ſtayed the Friday's night after, and confulted
about fuch things as concerned the carrying on of the
work of God; and theſe meetings amongſt ourſelves,
were fometimes as profitable as either presbyteries or fyneds,
and out of thefe pariſhes now mentioned, and ſome others
alfo, fuch as laid religion to heart, uſed to conveen to
thofe meetings, efpecially out of the Six-Mile-Water,
which was neareſt hand, and where was the greateſt num-
ber of religious people, and frequently the Sabbath after
the Friday's meeting, the communion was celebrated in
one or other of thefe pariſhes. Among all theſe miniſters,
there was never any jar or jealouſy, yea nor amongſt the
profeffors, the greateft part of them being Scots, and
fome good number of very gracious English; all whoſe
contention was to prefer others to themſelves, and altho’
the gifts of the minifters were much different, yet it was
not obferved that the people followed any to the under-
valuing
( 16 )
valuing of others. Many of thefe religious profeffors,
had been both ignorant and prophane, and for debt and
want, and worſe caufes, had left Scotland, yet the Lord
was pleaſed by his word to work fuch a change. I do
not think there were more lively and experienced chriſtians
any where, than were theſe at that time in Ireland, and
that in good numbers, and feveral of them perfons of good
outward condition in the world; being but lately brought
in, the lively edge was not yet gone off them, and the
perpetual fear that the bifhops would put away their mi-
nifters, made them with great hunger wait on the ordinan
ces. I have known them come feveral miles from their
own houſes, to communions to the Saturday's fermon, and
fpent the whole Saturday night in feveral companies,
fometimes a minifter being with them, fometimes themſelves
alone, in conference and prayer, and waited on the publick
ordinances the whole Sabbath, and ſpent the Sabbath night
likewife, and yet at the Monday's fermon were not troubled
with fleepinefs, and fo have not flept till they went home.
Becauſe of their holy and righteous carriage, they were
generally reverenced even by the graceless multitude among
whom they lived. Some of them had attained fuch dexte-
rity of expreffing religious purpofes, by the reſemblance
of worldly things, that being at feaſts and meals in common
inns, where were fome ignorant prophane perfons, they
would among themſelves entertain a ſpiritual diſcourſe for
a long time, and the other profeffed that altho' they ſpoke
good English, they could not underftand what they faid.
In thoſe days it was no great difficulty for a miniſter to
preach or pray in publick or private, fuch was the hunger
of the hearers, and it was hard to judge, whether there
was more of the Lord's prefence in the publick or private
meetings.
August 24. 1631, the Lord was pleafed to deliver me
from a great danger of fire. I lay in a high chamber of
John Stuart's houſe in B---- the room was ftrawed with
a great deal of dry fea-bent; I uſed never after I was
afleep to awaken till the morning, yet that night about
one of the clock, all of the houfe being faft afleep, I
wakened
( 17 )
wakened peaceably, and thought it had been day, and for
a little ſpace kept my eyes fhut, and neither heard any
noiſe, nor felt any ſmell: but within a little while, opening
my eyes, I faw the flame of the bent, burning within two
ells of the bed whereon I lay; for a great fire in the room
below, making ready the meat for the reapers, had fired
a joyſt of the chimney, the end of the which came into the
room where I lay. The fire was betwixt me and the door
of the chamber; I rofe and took my breeches, my bible and
watch, giving my books and any things elfe I had for
loft; I got out of the door and called up thofe of the
houfe. It pleafed the Lord, that in a fhort fpace they
got the fire quenched; whereas in all appearance, had I
flept a quarter of an hour longer, the fire had feized
on the roof of the houſe covered only with ſtraw, and
fo not only houſe and goods but our lives had been con~
fumed.
I got not above a year's quiet miniſtry in Killinchie,
for in harveſt 1631, Mr. Robert Ecklen biſhop of Down,
fufpended Mr. Blair and me for nonconformity, but the
occafion was, that the fummer before we had been in
Scotland, and had preached in feveral parts,but eſpecially at
a communion in the Shots, which procured that the biſhops
in Scotland, eſpecially Mr. James Law in Glasgow, fent
information against us, by one Mr. Henry Lefly then dean,
afterward biſhop of Down; He and Sir Richard Beaton
lord chief baron of Ireland, who uſed to come to the aflize
circuits in the north, ftirred up the bifhop againſt us; but
we were ſhortly after reſtored: for worthy Meffrs. Dunbar,
Welsh, Hamilton, and Gulvert, went to Tradeth, to doctor
James Usher primate of Armaugh, not only a learned but
a godly man, altho' a biſhop. Thither came alfo Sir
Andrew Stuart, after lord Caftle-Stuart to deal for
us. The primate very carefully dealt for us with the
bishop, fo that we were at that time reftored. But the
bifhops of Scotland fent to the king information againſt
us by Mr. John Maxwel, called biſhop of Rofs, and think-
ing that nonconformity would not be a crime fufficiently
hainous, they informed that we ſtirred up the people to
C
ex tafies
( 18 )
extafies and enthufiafms. There were indeed in fome pa»
rifhes eſpecially in Braidifland, where was a godly aged
miniſter Mr. Edward Bryce, fome people who uſed in time
of ſermon to fall on a high breathing and panting, as thoſe
do who have run long, but moſt of the minifters, and efpe-
cially theſe who were complained of, diſcountenanced theſe
practices, and fufpected them not to proceed from any
working of the Spirit of God, and that upon this ground,
that theſe people were alike affected whatever purpoſe was
preached, yea altho' by one who had neither gifts nor good
affection to the work of God, and accordingly few of theſe
people ever came forward to any folid exercife of chriſtiani-
ty, but continued ignorant and profane, and left off that
feeming motion. It is like Mr, Henry Lefly had informed.
this againſt us; however upon theſe informations the king
wrote to the lords juftices of Ireland,..and by them to the
Biſhop of Down, that Meflrs. Dunbar, Blair, Wellh, and
I fhould be tryed and cenfured. The 4th of May 1637,
the biſhop depofed Mr. Blair and me, and eight days after
Mr. Dunbar and Mr. Welfh. He proceeded againft us for
onconformity, never mentioning what was in the, king's
letter, knowing us to be free of that charge. Therefore
we refolved for our own vindication, and upon fome hopes
that we might be reſtored again, to petition the king, thats
we might be tried in what was informed, and if guilty,
we refuſed no punishment; otherwife, that for fimple non-
conformity, we might in refpect of our Scotish breeding, be
forborn in ſuch a barren place as the north-part of Ireland.
Upon this defign, fhortly after Mr. Blair went to London,
and I to Scotland, with a purpofe to follow him, only I
was to procure letters from my lady marchionefs of Ha-
milton, and from the carls of Eglinton, Linlithgow, and
Wigtoun, to fome of their friends at court, that we were
free of what was informed, and to defire toleration in our
conconformity. Mr. Blair wrote to me, that it was need-
lefs for me to come, and only required that I ſhould ſend
thofe letters; which I did. He, after tedious onwaiting,
at laſt obtained a letter from the king to Strafford the lord
deputy, that the information fhould be tried, and if we
were
( 19 T9
)
were free, fome favour fhould be fhewed us: and after the
letter was thus drawn up by the ſecretary, the king wrote
on the margin with his own hand, That the matter ſhould
be narrowly tried, and feeing he had got from fome perfons.
of honour, atteftations of our innocency,` that the informers
ſhould be puniſhed if we were free. But when Mr. Blair
took this letter to the deputy to Dublin, it ſeems he had
got new advertiſement from Laud, who guided all church-
matters at court; for he refuſed, except we would con-
form, to take any trial or fhew any favour: fo we continued
depofed till May 1634. At that time there being fame
little difference between Strafford and fome of the English
nobles in Ireland, and Strafford ſpeaking occafionally with
my lord Caftle-Stuart a good and wife man, he took
occafion to fhew him, he might gain the hearts of all the
Scots in Ireland, if he would reftore the depofed minifters,
for which he had alfo fome warrant from the king; hereupon
he wrote that we fhould be restored.
During all that time from May 1632. to May 1634.
I ſtayed at firſt fome while in Killinchie, and not only had
feveral private meetings in feveral parts of the pariſh, but
fundry Sabbaths conveened with them and prayed in the
church, and after one had read a chapter I spoke thereon;
but finding I could not be long ſuffered to do fo, I went to
Scotland, and as I had before, went from place to place
as I had invitation to preach, or to be at communions in thoſe
places where I had haunted before, and in fome others. My
chief refidence at that time was in the dean of Kilmarnock,
with the worthy lady Boyd, and the while I was there, I
preached ordinarily on the Sabbath once, being defired by
the mafter. I was alfo frequently in Lanerk with my father,
and in Cumbernauld and other places, and fometimes in
Edinburgh, where were frequent private meetings of chri-
ftians. I never had of ſtipend in Killinchie, above 4 pounds
sterling by year, and enjoyed that but a fhort space, yet I
blefs the Lord I never wanted money to fupply my neceflity,
and to bear my charges in going to and again. My father
was not able to fupply me, having a great charge of other
nine children, whereof feven were daughters. Thefe from
whom
C 2
20 ).
whom I got at feveral times fupply of money were, the lady
Boyd, the countefs of Eglintoun, and Wigtoun, and the
Jady Innertail.
During theſe two years, I went twice or thrice over into
Ireland, to viſit the parifh and friends there; the laſt of
theſe times having come to Ireland in February 1634.
Our friends in Ireland ſeeing no appearance of being de~
livered from the yoke of the prelates tyranny, had fome
mind to tranfport themſelves to New-England, but refolved
firſt to ſend a minifter and a gentleman thither to the gover-
nour and council, to try the condition of the country, and
to agree for a place to fettle in; and accordingly they
pitched upon William Wallace and me to go ftraight to
London, to go from thence with the firſt ſhip in the Spring,
and return with the firſt conveniency. Therein I perceived,
howbeit I truſt the Lord did accept and approve of our
intention, yet wonderfully he ftopped our defign, for had
William Wallace come to me in Grooms-port in Ireland, at
the time prefixed, we might eafily have reached London
before the firft fhip went, but he ſtaying two days taking
leave of his family, all which time the wind was fair; ſo
foon as he came, the wind became contrary for a fourth-
night, but after that we came to Scotland, and made all
the haſte we could to come to London, but the ſhips
were gone, only three were to go within a fourthnight
or fo.
The firſt we met with that had intereſt in thoſe
fhips, was Mr. Humphray, who urged much that we ſhould
go with him in his fhip; we told we would advife. After
that Mr. Belinham having a greater ſhip, offered us better
accommodation; yet becaufe Mr. Humphray ſpoke firſt,
we agreed to go with him. Had we gone with Mr. Belin-
ham, we had gone forward; but Mr. Humphray, to gain
time to do fome buſineſs, and to efchew fome tofling at
fea, did not go aboard when the fhips loofed, but took
us with him to Dorchefter, that when the fhips ſhould
come over-againſt Wymouth we might go aboard; on a
Sabbath forenoon, the three fhips came to Wymouth, the
other two went forward with a ſpread fail: Mr. Humphray
defired his ſhip to caft herſelf in the ſtayes, till we ſhould
hear
( 21 )
hear Mr. White of Dorchefter preach in the afternoon.
We went aboard, but by this means when a ftorm and
contrary wind
came on us on Wedneſday night, the other
two fhips being paſt Lands-end ſtood to the fea, and we
were forced to come to an anchor in Plymouth, and ſtaid
eight or ten days there with contrary wind. During this
time William Wallace fell fick, and was both adviſed by,
doctors not to go to fea, and was fomewhat averſe to it
himfelf; and our friends in Ireland had condefcended that
I fhould not go alone without him: wherefore we both
refolved to return. When we were coming back I told
him, I apprehended that we would get our liberty in Ire-
land; and accordingly when we came we found that we
four who had been depofed, were reftored by the deputy's
letter on May 1634.
Shortly after on Monday June 23. 1634. The Lord
was pleafed to call home worthy Mr. Jofias Welsh: I heard
of his dangerous fickneſs on Sabbath afternoon before, and
came to him to Temple-Patrick, about eleven o'clock at
night, two hours after came Mr. Blair. He had many
gracious and edifying difcourfes, as alfo fome wreſtlings;
one time when he had faid, Oh for hypocrify! Mr. Blair
faid to the great company of chriftians prefent, See how
Satan knibbles at his heel, when he is going over the threshold
of heaven. A little after, I being at prayer at the bed-
fide before him, and the word VICTORY coming out
of my mouth, he took hold of my hand, and defired me to
ceafe a little, and clapped both his hands, and cried out,
VICTORY! VICTORY! VICTORY! for evermore !
and then deſired me to go on in prayer and within a ſhort
time he expired.
Mr. Blair, and Mr. Dunbar were again depofed within
half a year.
I continued preaching in Killinchie for an
year and a half, till November 1635. During my abode in
London, I got acquaintance with my lord Forbes, Sir Na-
thaniel Rich, Sir Richard Saltonftall, Sir William Conftable,
Sir Philip Stapleton, Sir Matthew Bonnington, Doctor
Gouge, Doctor Sibs, Mr. Philip Nye, Mr. Thomas Good-
avin, Mr. Harris, Mr. Rofs, and feveral others. I was
often
( 22 )*
often with Doctor Alexander Leighton, who was prifoner
in the fleet. He diffwaded us from going to New-England;
and told us he was confident of the downfall of the bishops
in Scotland; which came to paſs within three years. Some
other things he then told me, which whether yet came to
paſs, I know not.
no
In June 1635. the Lord was gracioufly pleaſed to bleſs
me with my wife, who how well accompliſhed every way,
and how faithful a yoke-fellow, I defire to leave to the
memory of others. She was the eldeſt daughter of Bar-
tholomew Fleeming, merchant in Edinburgh, of moſt wor-
thy memory, whoſe brothers were John Fleeming merchant
in Edinburgh, and Mr. James Fleeming miniſter at the
Bathings. Her father died at London, Anno 1624, and was
Jaid hard by Mr. Jo. Welsh, and theſe two only of a long
time, had been folemnly buried without the fervice-book,
Her mother Marion Hamilton, was a rare godly woman,
who had alſo three religious fifters, Elizabeth married to
Mr. Richard Dickfon, miniſter first at the Weft-kirk of
Edinburgh, after at Kinniel, Barbara married to John
Mien merchant in Edinburgh, and Beatrice married to Mr.
Blair; Her brother James Fleeming a gracious and hopeful
youth, died in the year 1640. and a while after, her fifter
Marion, after fhe had been fome while married to Mr.
John MacClellan minifter of Kircudbright. Her mother
with her fecond husband John Stevenfon,, and her family,
came to Ireland in the end of the year 1633. When I
went a vifit to Ireland in February 1634. Mr. Blair
propounded to me that marriage. Immediately thereafter
I was fent to London, to have gone to New-England, and
returned the June following. I had feen her before ſeveral
times in Scotland, and heard the teftimony of many of her
gracious diſpoſition, yet I was for nine months feeking, as
I could, direction from God about that bufinefs; during
which time, I did not offer to ſpeak to her, who I believe
had not heard any thing of the matter, only for want of
clearness in my mind, altho' I was twice or thrice in the
houſe, and ſaw her frequently at communions and publick
meetings, and it is like I might have been longer in
fuch
( 23 )
fuch darkneſs, except the Lord had prefented me an occafion
of our conferring together; for in November 1634, when
I was going to the Friday-meeting at Antrum, I met with
her and fome others going thither, and propounded to them.
by the way, to confer on a text whereupon I was to preach
the day after at Antrum, wherein I found her conference
fo judicious and fpiritual, that I took that for fome anſwer
of my prayer to have my mind cleared, and blamed myſelf
that I had not before taken occafion to confer with her.
Four or five days after I propounded the matter to her, and
defired her to think upon it; and after a week or two I went
to her mother's houfe, and being alone with her defiring her
anfwer, I went to prayer, and urged her to pray, which at
laft ſhe did; and in that time, I got abundance of clearneſs,
that it was the Lord's mind, that I fhould marry her, and
then propounded the matter more fully to her mother. And
altho' I was fully cleared, I may truly fay it was above a
month before I got marriage affection to her, altho' fhe
was for perfonal endowments beyond many of her equals,
and I got it not till I obtained it by prayer. But thereafter
I had a great difficulty to moderate it. In Summer 1635.
her mother and fhe went to Scotland, and I followed,
becauſe on both fides we were to have the conſent of friends
in Scotland. We were married by my father in the Weſt-
kirk of Edinburgh, June 23d, 1635. and altho' fome told
me fome days before, that Spotifwood, who was then
Chancellour of Scotland, had given orders to a Macer to
apprehend me, our marriage was very folemn and counte-
nanced with the preſence of a good number of religious
friends, among whom was alſo the earl of Wigtoun and his
fon my lord Fleeming, in the houſe of her uncle Johns
Fleeming, who did as great a duty as if ſhe had been his
own daughter, and providence fo ordered, that thereafter
I was prefent with him, and his eight daughters on their
death-bed, and clearly difcerned in them all, full evidence
of the grace of God. I was alfo at the death of her gracious
uncle Mr. James, minifter at Bathans. From Edinburgh
we went over to Ireland, and I remained in her mother's
houfe, being at the Iron-furnace of Miloore, twelve miles
from
( 24 )
from Killinchie, becauſe there was fo little appearance I
might continue in my miniftry there. For in November
1635, I was again depofed by Mr. Henry Lefly, called
biſhop of Down, and fome while after excommunicated by
his order, by one Mr. John Melvin miniſter at Down, and
for any thing I know, that fentence ſtands in fuch force as
it can have to this day: but I bleſs the Lord, the curſe
cauſeleſs hath not lighted on me; and I have found ſince
the Lord's bleffing on foul and body, on family, name and
goods, yea, when after the rebellion I was fent to Ireland
in the year 1642,. that Mr. Melvin was the firſt that wel-
comed me afhore, and profeffed his grief, that he had had
a hand in fuch a wicked act. Notwithſtanding the cenfure
of the biſhops, I continued preaching every Sabbath in my
mother's houfe, whither feverals reforted, where Mr.
Blair alfo preached, for he and his wife came alfo and
remained in my mother's houſe.
This Winter perceiving no appearance of liberty, either
to preachers or profeffors, from the bondage of the prelates:
A miniſter of the north of Ireland, and fome few out of
Scotland, refolved to tranſport ourſelves to New-England,
others of our friends being minded thereafter to follow us.
We had got letters from the governour and council, full of
kind invitations, and large promiſes of good accommodation:
We built a ſhip near Belfaſt, called the Eagle-Wing, of
about 115 tuns, and were minded to have fet out in the
Spring 1636. But through the difficulties that ufe to arife
in fuch undertakings, in preparing the fhip and our other
accommodations, it was the September following, before we
fet fail; we were all to go paffengers at that time about
140 perfons, of whom the chief were, Mr. Blair, John
Stuart provoſt of Air, Mr. Robert Hamilton, afterward
miniſter at Kirkudbright, Charles Campbel, John Sumervel,
Hugh Brown, and feveral other families and fingle perfons;
among whom was one Andrew Brown of the parish of
Lern; born deaf and dumb,' who had been a very vicious,
looſe man; but when it pleaſed the Lord to work a change
on ſeveral of that pariſh, a very ſenſible change was obſerved
in him, not only in forfaking his former loofe courfes and
company,
( 25 )
Company, but joining himſelf to religious people, and all the
exerciſes, of God's worship in public and private,and ordinarily
morning and evening uſed to go alone to prayer, and would
weep at fermons,and by fuch figns, theſe who were acquainted
with him underſtood, he would exprefs many things of the
work of God upon his heart, ſo that upon his earnett defire,
by the confent of all the minifters who uſed to meet at
Antrum, he was at laſt admitted to the ordinance of the
Lord's fupper. I was abundantly clear in my mind, that the
Lord approved our intention and endeavour, and was as
ready in making all forts of preparation as any of the reft,
yea, during all that time, Mr. Blair and we that were in
my mother's houfe, fpent one day in the week, in fafting
and prayer, for a bleffing to our undertaking; yet I often
told my wife long before our outfetting, that it gave me in
mind, we would never go to New-England; but I laid not
fo great hold on that, as thereafter I found I had reaſon to
do. Finding that it would be the end of Summer before
we could be ready to go, I went in March 1636 to Scot-
land, to take leave of my father and other dear friends
there; and went to moſt of all the places where I had
haunted before, and found in the midſt of much mutual
grief, my heart often well refreſhed both in publick and
private: I came back in the end of April. In August,
all the rest of the honeft miniſters were depofed, viz.
Meffrs. Cunningham, Ridge, Bryce, Hamilton, and Culvert.
June 30. my eldeſt fon John was born, and was the next
day after ſermon baptized in our own houſe. We had
much toil in our preparations, and many hindrances in our
out-fetting, and both fad and glad hearts in taking leave of
our friends. At laſt about the ninth of September 1636.
we loofed from Loch-fergus, but were detained fometime
with contrary winds in Lochryan in Scotland, and grounded
the fhip to fearch fome leaks in the keels of the boat. Yet
thereafter we fet to fea, and for fome ſpace had a fair
wind, till we were between three and 400 leagues from
Ireland, and fo nearer the banks of Newfoundland, than
any place of Europe: but if ever the Lord fpake by his
winds and other difpenfations, it was made evident to us,,
ť
D
that
་
( 26 )
that it was not his will that we fhould go to New-England;
For we met with a mighty heavy rain out of the North-welt,
which did break our rudder, which we got mended, with
much of our gallon-head and fore cross-trees, and tore
our fore-fail, five or fix of our champlets made up a
great bean under the gunner-room-door door broke; feas
came in over the round-houſe, and broke a plank or two
on the deck. and wet all them that were between the decks:
we fprung a leak, that gave us 700 ſtrokes in two pumps
in the half hour glafs; yet we lay at hull a long time, to
beat out that form, till the mafter and company came one
morning and told, it was impoffible to hold out any longer;
and altho' we beat out that ſtorm, yet we might be fure in
that feafon of the year, we would foregather with one or
two more of that fort, before we could reach New-England.
After prayer, when we were confulting what to do, I
propounded an overture, wherewith I was fomewhat per-
plexed thereafter, viz. "That ſeeing we thought we had
the Lord's warrant for our intended voyage; howbcit it be
prefumption to propone a fign to him, yet we being in fuch
a ftrait, and having ſtood out fome days already; we might
yet for 24 hours ftand to it, and if in that time he were
pleafed to calm the ftorm, and fend a fair wind, we might
take it for his approbation of our advancing: otherwiſe, that
he called us to return." To this they all agreed, but that
day, and eſpecially the night thereafter, we had the worſt
ftorm that we had feen; fo that the next morning ſo foon
as we faw day, we turned and made good way with a main
courfe and a little of a fore-top-fail, and after fome toffing
we came at laft on the third of November, to an anchor
in Loch-fergus. During all this time, amidſt ſuch fears and
dangers, the moft part of the paffengers were very chearful
and confident, yea, fome in prayer had expreffed fuch
hopes, that rather than the Lord would fuffer fuch a company
in fuch fort to p、riſh, if the ſhip ſhould break, he ſhould put
wings to our fhoulders and carry us fafe afhore. I never in my
days found the day fo fhort as all that time, altho' I flept fore
nights not above two hours, and fome none at all, but ſtood
inoft part in the gallery aftern the great cabin, where Mr.
Blair
(
27 )
Blair and I and our families lay. For in the morning by that
time that every one had been fome while alone; and then at
in their ſeveral focieties, and then at publick prayer
prayer
in the fhip, it was time to go to dinner, and after that we
would viſit our friends in the gunner-room, or thoſe between
the decks, or any that were fick, and then publick prayer
would come, and after that fupper and family-exercifes.
Mr. Blair was much of the time weakly, and lay in time
of ſtorm; I was fometimes fick, and then my brother Mr.
MacClellan only performed duty in the fhip; feveral of
thoſe between the decks being throng were fickly. An aged
perſon and one child died, and were buried in the fea.
One woman, the wife of Michael Colvert of Killinchie
parish, brought forth a child in the fhip, I baptized
him on Sabbath following, and called him SEABORN.
My wife went aboard with her ſon ſucking her breaſt, being
about fourteen weeks old, yet ſhe had milk abundance for
him, and to help others. Mr. Blair was much affected
with our returning, and fell in a fwoon that day we turned
back, and altho' we could not imagine what to make of that
difpenfation, yet we were confident, the Lord would let
us fee fomewhat that would abundantly fatisfy us. Our
outward means were much impaired by this diſappointment,
for we had put moſt of our ſtocks in proviſion, and ſomewhat
of merchandize, which we behoved to fell at low rates at
our return, and had provided ourſelves with fome fervants,
for fiſhing and building of houfes, whom we behoved to
turn off.
That which grieved us moft was, that we were
like to be a mocking to the wicked; but we found the
contrary, that the prelates and their followers, were much
difmaid and feared at our return; but neither they nor
we knew, that within a year, the Lord would root out
the prelates out of Scotland, and after that out of England
and Ireland. Mr. Blair went and dwelt at the Stoue in
Belfaft; others elſewhere, I came back and remained at
my mother's houfe, and preached each Sabbath that Winter,
as I had done before.
In February 1637. One Frankhill of Caftleraith, who
yet uſed to come fome Sabbaths, to hear fermons at my
mother's
D 2
( 28 )
mother's houſe, being in Dublin, informed the State againſt
Mr. Blair and me. Order is given to apprehend us. One
night one Andrew Young, a fervant of Mr. Blair's, who
dwelt hard by our houſe, overheard a Purſevant calling to
a Stabler, to prepare againſt to-morrow morning, becauſe
they had orders to go to the North, and bring up two Scot-
tiſh depofed miniſters. This Andrew immediately goes to a
ftable, prepares a horfe, and rode all that night, and in two
days after brings us word, fo that Mr. Blair and I went
out of the way, and came over to Scotland. When we
came to Irvine to Mr. Dickson's, he told us, That ſome
good gentlemen in that country had been with him, having
heard that we were come to Scotland, and defired him not
to employ us to preach, for fear that at fuch a time, the
Biſhops being then upon the urging of the fervice-book,
might take occafion thereby to put him out of his miniſtry :
but faid he, I dare not follow their opinion fo far to diſ-
countenance you in your fufferings, as not to employ you
as in former times, but would think rather, fo doing would
provoke the Lord, that I might be on another account
depofed, and not have fo good a confcience. We were
very unwilling either to occafion his trouble, or diffatisfy
any of the gentlemen of the country; but he urged with
fuch grounds, as we could not get refuſed. After that Ì
went by Dean, and Lowdon, and Lanerk, to Edinburgh,
and remained there fome ſpace; being at fome private
meeting every day. And when I returned to the communion
of Irvine, which was the 26th of March, I found that my
wife having come only a viſit from her mother's houſe to
Newtoun, to fee the lady Airds, and finding fome of our
Killinchie folks coming by to go to Irvine communion, fhe
prefently came along to Scotland with them, bringing with
her the child fucking her breaſt, and a fervant-woman to`
wait on him'; ſhe came with a purpoſe to have gone back
preſently, but I kept her ftill, and brought her with the
child to Lanerk to my father's, and fent to Ireland for
fome of our goods, and remained in Lanerk, till I went
to Stranrawer.
While
( 29 )
While we were at Irvine, the Lord called home fweet
Mr. Robert Cunningham, minifter at Holywood, March 29.
1637. for both he and all the reft of the depoſed miniſters,
were forced to fly out of Ireland. He had many gracious
expreffions of the Lord's goodnefs to him, and his great
peace in regard of the cauſe of his fuffering, and ſpoke much
and well to the presbytery of Irvine, who came to fee him
the day before he died. A little before he died, his wife
fitting on a low bed where he lay, and having her hand
on his hand, he was in prayer, commending to God his
flock of Holywoood, and his dear acquaintance and children,
at laſt he ſaid, And, O Lord, I commend unto thy care this
gentlewoman, who is now no more my wife; and with that
he gently thruſt away her hand, and after a while he ſlept /
in the Lord. In the beginning of June, my wife went to
Ireland, being fent for to be with her mother who was
dying, becauſe I might not go myſelf, I fent my brother
Samuel with her. After the death of her mother, fhe
returned in September next, and came and remained in
Lanerk, where the 7th of January following, fhe brought
forth her ſecond fon William. All that Summer 1637.
I had as much work of preaching in publick, and exercifes
in private, as any time before; partly in Lanerk, partly
in the Weft, and at communions in divers places, in the
Stuarty of Kircudbright and Presbytery of Stranrawer,
whiles I was waiting at the Port, for my wife's coming
out of Ireland.
This Summer, feveral miniſters in Scotland were charged
with horning, to buy and receive the ſervice-book, which
ftirred up great thoughts of heart through the land, befidea
tumult in Edinburgh, by fome of the common people at
the first reading of the fervice-book. The true rife of that .
bleſſed reformation in Scotland, began with two petitions
againſt the ſervice-book. the one from the Weft, and the
other out of Fife, which met together at the council-door
in Edinburgh, the one not knowing of the other. After
that about the 20th of September, a great many other
petitions were preſented againſt the ſervice-book: Thefe
being denied by the king, the number of the petitioners,
and
}
( 30 )
and their demands encreafed, for they defired not only
exemption from the fervice-book, but alſo from the five
ceremonies of Perth, and the high commiſſion court, and
theſe things being denied, they at laſt deſired freedom
from Epifcopacy, and a free Parliament, and General
Affembly: When theſe things were ſtill denied, and their
number had fo encreaſed, that in fome fort they were the
whole body of the land: they confidering that the Lord's
controverfy with them was the breach of covenant, did in
the beginning of March 1638. renew the national covenant,
which had formerly by authority of king and parliament
feveral times been fworn.
I was immediately fent poft to London, with ſeveral copies
of the covenant, and letters to friends at court of both
nations. To avoid diſcovery, I rode in a gray coat, and
a gray montiro-cap. One night riding late, the horſe and
I fell to the ground; where I lay about a quarter of an
hour as dead, the first thing I diſcovered when I came to
myſelf, I found the guide fitting under me, and crying and
weeping, yet it pleaſed the Lord I recovered, and got to
Ferybridge, where after a day or two's ſtay, I did in two
days come to London, but one of my eyes and part of my
cheek being blood fhot, I did not go to the treet, but
Mr. Eleazar Borthwick delivered the letters for me. Some
friends and fome of the English nobility came to my
chamber, to be informed how matters went. I had been
but a few days there, when Mr. Borthwick came to me
and told me, that the marquis of Hamilton had fent him
to me, to fhew he had overheard the king faying, I was
come, but he ſhould endeavour to put a pair of fetters
about my feet: Wherefore fearing to be way laid in the
poſt-way, I bought a horfe and came home by St. Albans,
and the Wefter-way.
I was prefent at Lanerk, and at feveral other pariſhes,
when on a Sabbath after the forenoon fermon, the covenant
was read and fworn; and may truly fay, that in all my life-
time exccpt one day at the kirk of Shots, I never faw fuch
motions from the Spirit of God; all the people generally,
and moſt willingly concurring; where I have feen more than
2
( 31 )
a thouſand perſons all at once lifting up their hands, and the
tears falling down from their eyes, ſo that through the
whole land, except the profeffed Papifts, and fome few
who for baſe ends adhered to the Prelates, the people
univerfally entred into the covenant of God, for reformation
of religion, againſt Prelates and the ceremonics.
PERIOD IV.
The fourth period of my life, I reckon from the time I
entred in the miniftry at Stranrawer, till I was tranſported
to Ancrum, In the end of May 1638. I got letters from
the earl of Caffils, to come to his houfe of Caffils, in
reference to a call to a parish, wherein he had fome intereſt.
When I came there, there came both at one time com •
miffioners from the town of Stranrawer in Galloway, and
from the parish of Straitcun in Carrick with a call to me: I
defired fome time to advife; and becauſe both equally
urged, I propounded, that we fhould refer the matter to
the determination of fix miniſters, viz. Meffrs. Robert
Blair, David Dickfon, Andrew Cant, Alexander Hen-
derfon, Samuel Rutherford, and my father, who by occafion
at another meeting were all to be at Edinburgh within a few
days: my own mind inclined moſt to Straiton; becauſe it
was a more obfcure place, and the people being landwart`
fimple people, were the more likely to be wrought upon by
the gofpel: But they all having heard both parties, advifed
me to hearken to the call of Stranrawer, being a thorow
fair way within four miles of Portpatrick, and nearer for the
advantage of our people in Ireland. So I was there received
by the presbytery the 5th of July 1638. and fhortly after.
tranfported my family thither, and I remained in the miniſtry
of that place, until Harvest, 1648. when by the fentence
of the General Affembly, I was tranfported to Ancrum in
Tivictdale. Becauſe I had fome houfhold furniture to carry,
and the way was fo far, I put my family in a boat at Irvine,
and put in a tolerable quantity of meat and drink. The wind
being the firft day very fair, we were like to be foon at our
port; the boat's company confumed moſt of all our provi-
fon, fo that by a calm, and a little contrary wind, being
three days at fea, the last day we had neither meat nor
drink,
( 32 )
drink, nor could reach no coaft, and my wife had then a
child fucking her breaſt, yet it pleaſed the Lord, we came
fafe to Lochryan.
• Some of our friends came out of Ireland, and dwelt in
Stranrawer, and at the communions twice in the year,
great numbers uſed to come; at one time 500 perfons.
At one time I baptized 28 children brought out of Ire-
land..
Providence fo ordered, that I was a member of the
General Aſſembly at Glasgow, in November 1638. which
eſtabliſhed the reformation of religion, and of the reſt of
the General Aſſemblies, even till that in the year 1650.
except that of Aberdeen in the year 1640. When I came
first to Stranrawer, fome of the folks of the town defired
to come to our houſe, to be preſent at our family exercife:
Therefore I propounded, that I would rather chooſe every
morning to go to the church, and fo each morning the bell
was rung, and we conveened, and after two or three verſes
of a pfalm fung, and a fhort prayer, fome portion of
Scripture was read and explained, only fo long as an half-
hour glafs ran, and then cloſed with prayer. The whole
pariſh was within the bounds of a little town.
The people
were very tractable and reſpectful, and no doubt had I
taken pains, and believed as I ought to have done, more
fruit would have appeared among them. I was fometimes
well fatisfied and refreshed being with fome of them on
their death-bed.
I was fent out by the Presbytery in the year 1640.
to go with the earl of Caffils's regiment, when our army
went to Newcastle. Our army lay a while at Chufely-wood,
a mile or two from Dunfe, till the reft of the army came up.
I had there a little trench tent, and a bed hung between two
leager cheſts, and having lain ſeveral nights with my cloaths
on, I being wearied with want of fleep, did ly one night
with my cloaths off; that night was very cold, and while
I ſlept all the cloaths went off me; fo that in the morning
I was not able to ftir any part of my body, and I had
much ado, with the help of my man and a baggage-
man to get on my cloaths. I caufed them to put me on
my
( 33 )
my horſe, and went to Dunje, and lay down in a bed, and
cauſed them to give me into the bed a big tin ftoup full of
water, whereby a fweat was procured; fo that before night
I was able to rife and put on my cloaths. When the whole
army was come up, it was found that there was want of
powder and of bread, the biſket being ſpoiled, and of cloath
to be huts to the foldiers. This produced fome fears that
the expedition might be delayed for that year. One day
when the committee of eftates and general officers, and
fome minifters were met in' the caſtle of Dunſe, and were
at prayer, and confulting what to do, an officer of the guard
comes, and knocks rudely at the door of the room where
we were; and told there was treachery difcovered, for he
going to a big cellar in the bottom of the houſe ſeeking for
fome other thing, had found a great many barrels of pow-
der, which he apprehended was intended to blow us all
up. After fearch, it was found that the powder had been
laid in there the year before, when the army departed from
Dunfe-law after the pacification, and had been forgotten.
Therefore having found powder, the earls of Rothes and
Lowdon, Mr. Alexander Henderfon, and Mr. Archibald
Johnſton were fent to Edinburgh, and within a few days
brought as much meal and cloath to the foldiers, by the gift
of well-affected people there, as fufficed the whole army.
The 20th of August 1640. the army marched into Englands
and after fome little oppofition made by the English army,
paffed Time at Newburn; had Newcaſtle rendred to them,
and after two petitions to the king, followed the treaty at
Ripon, and thereafter the Parliament of England in Novem-
ber following, where the large treaty was concluded. It
was laid
upon me by the presbytery of the army, to draw
up a narration of what happened in that skirmiſh, at New-
burn, which I did in a paper out of that I faw or heard from
others, by the help of the Lieutenant-general.
It was very refrefhful to remark, that after we came to
and quarter at night, there was nothing to be heard almoſt
through the whole army, but finging of Pfalms, prayer,
and reading of Scripture, by the foldiers in their feveral
huts, and I was informed, there was large more the year
E
before,
( 34 )
before, when the army lay at Dunfe-Law. And indeed
in all our meetings and confultings, both within doors and
without in the fields, always the nearer the beginning,
there was fo much the more of dependance upon God, and
more tenderneſs in worſhip and walking, but through proceſs
of time, we ſtill declined more and more. The day we
came to Newburn, the General and fome others ftepped
afide to Haddon on the wall; where old Mrs. Finnick met
them, and burst out and faid, "And is it fo, that Jefus
Chriſt will not come to England, for reforming of abuſes,
without an army of 22000 men at his back?"
In November 1640. I returned back to Stranrawer, alł
the reft of the parifhes of the country had before that,
contributed money to fend to buy cloaths for the foldiers
whom they had fent out. This was not yet done in
Stranrawer, by reafon of my abfence. We had ſent out
our fourth fenfible man, viz. 15 men; The town was but
little and poor; all the yearly rent was eſtimated to 2000
merks Scots, out of which a part of the miniſter's ſtipend
was to be paid, but the earl of Caffils paid a great part of
it, On the Saturday morning after I came home, one came
to me to enquire if I had any word to the army, he being
to go the Monday or Tueſday following. Therefore at
our meeting in the church on that Saturday, I propounded
unto them the condition of the army, and defired that they
would prepare their contribution to be given to morrow
after fermon, at which time we got £. 45 fterling, whereof
we fent £. 15 fterling to our own foldiers, and £. 15 10
captain Ellis's company who were all Iriſh-men, and fo
had no pariſh in Scotland to provide for them, and £. 15
to the Commifar General to be diftributed by public order.
The reaſon that we got fo much was, that there were
fundry families of Irijh people dwelling in the town. One
Margaret Fame, the wife of William Scot a malt-man,
who had fled out of Ireland, and were but in a mcan
condition, gave feven twenty two fhilling fterling picces;
and an eleven pound piece. When the day after I enquired
at her, how the came to give fo much? She anſwered, “I
was gathering, and had laid up this to be a part of a portion
•
to
( 35 )
to a young daughter I had, and as the Lord hath lately been
pleaſed to take my daughter to himſelf, I thought I would
give him her portion alfo."
In Summer 1641. the General Aſſembly was kept, and
after that the Parliament, where the king was preſent, and
ratified all the preceeding work of reformation. When I was
coming home from that Aſſembly, I ſtayed with my father
in Lanerk, till it pleaſed the Lord to call him home to
himſelf. He was worn with fore pains of the gravel, but
had great peace of mind. He died on the Saturday
morning, and was to be buried on the Monday following.
The night before the burial, I had a fore fit of the gravel,
which now and then for five years had taken me, and
continued but with long intermiffions for eight or nine years
thereafter. This put me in fear that it might continúe the
time of the burial; therefore I befought the Lord, if he ſo
pleaſed to free me of the pain, till I might perform that duty
to my father, to fee him buried, altho' it fhould come
forer on me thereafter. About eight o'clock I was fully
freed of the pain, and fo continued till all was done, and
was making account it would not return at that time; but
within an hour after I was come into the houſe, my pain
'came again, and continued a day or two.
In October 1641. The rebellion broke out in Ireland,
many of the religious people in the north of Ireland had
left it in the year 1637. when the depofed miniſters were
forced out of it by Purfevants, fent out to apprehend them.
Others left it in the year 1639. when the Deputy urged
upon all the Scots in Ireland, an oath abjuring the national
covenant of Scotland, and fo they were free of that ſtroke
of the rebellion, while many of theſe that took the oath
were murdered by the rebels. Such as lived near the coaſt,
over-againſt Scotland, for moft part efcaped, and fundry
fled from other parts of the country to them. It was
obferved that the ſtroke on the people in the north of
Ireland, increafed by degrees. At first they thought it a
hard cafe, that they were not fure to enjoy their miniſters,
but thereafter their miniſters were depofed. When that
was found yet harder to be born, the minifters were forced
1
E 2
to
(36
to flee the country, and hirelings thruft in upon them.
When that had continued fome time, and they thought
hardly a worſe condition could come, the abjuration oath
was urged upon them, and after all came the bloody fword
of the rebels. And I have heard fome of them that cfcaped
the fword of the rebels complain, that they thought the
oppreſſion and infolences of fome of the Scottish army, that
came over, was to them worſe than the rebellion. The
Winter following many came fleeing over to Scotland;
fundry to Air and Irvine, and other places of the Weſt
by fea, but the greatefl number came by Portpatrick and
Stranrawer, and were generally in a very deftitute con-
dition. There had been collected in Edinburgh and ſeveral
other places about, confiderable fums of money for their
fupply: Of which there was fent to me £1000 Scots, to
diſtribute to needy perfons at their first arriving. All this
in a few weeks was diftributed in prefence of fome of our
elders. The moſt that was given to any was a half-crown,
only a very few got five fhillings ſterling, but for the moſt
part they got but one filling, and fome 18 pence, the
number was fo great. Of all the numbers that came our way,
I hardly obferved one perfon fufficiently fenfible of the
Lord's hand in it, or of deferving on their part, except
one Englishman, fo far had the ſtroke ſeized their ſpirits
as well as bodies.
In April 1642. I was fent by order of the council of
Scotland to Ireland, to wait on the Scottish army, that
went over with major general Monro, and ſtaid for fix
weeks, moft part in Carrickfergus, where the head quarters
were, and for other fix weeks moſt part at Antrum, with
Sir John Clotworthy and his regiment, who had obtained
an order from the, council for me fo to do. I preached
for most part in theſe two places; but fometimes in other
parishes of the coaſt-ſide about; and before I left Antrum,
we had the communion celebrated there, where fundry that
had taken the oath,did willingly and with great expreffions of
grief publickly confefs the fame. I found a great alteration
in Ireland; many of thoſe who had been civil before, were
become many ways exceeding loofc; ycą, fundry who as
could
!
( 37 )
fo
}
could be conceived had true grace, were declined much in
tenderneſs; ſo as it would feem the fword opens a gap,
and makes every body worſe than before, an inward plague
coming with the outward; yet fome few were in a very lively
condition. I went with the army to the field, when they
took in Newry: a part of the rebels that made fome oppo-
fition by the way at the entry of a wood were killed. They
were fo fat, that one might have hid their fingers in the lirks
of their breafts. The people of the north of Ireland, ſent
commiffioners to the next general aſſembly of Scotland,
Anno 1642. petitioning for minifters to be fent to them,
for now they had none at all. The aſſembly thought not
fit to loofc any, but for four or five years thereafter, ordered
eight miniſters in the year to go over for viſits, two for three
months, and after them other two, and in the mean time
fome godly and able young men to be dealt with to go over
for fettling; and that theſe miniſters might in pariſhes elect
elderſhips, and with the presbytery of the army, try and
admit miniſters. Thefe minifters who went, ufed, for the
moſt part, to ſeparate themſelves to divers pariſhes in feveral
parts of the country; there being ſuch a great number of
vacant pariſhes, yet fo as the one would alſo viſit the place
where the other had been. By this appointment I was
ſent over three months in Summer 1643. and as long in
Summer 1645. In Summer 1646. I went thither with the
marquis of Argyl and fome other commiffioners, who went
to defire fome of the Scots army in Ireland, to be ſent to
Scotland; and Anno 1648. I was defired by the commiffion
of the kirk to deal with the army there, not to ſend any
to the engagers. For the most part of all theſe three months
I preached every day once, and twice on the Sabbath; the
deftitute parishes were many; the hunger of the people
was become great; and the Lord was pleafed to furniſh
otherwiſe than ufually I wont to get at home.
ordinarily the night before to the place where I was to
preach, and commonly lodged in fome religious perfon's
houfe; where we were often well refreſhed at family exer-
oife: Ufually I defired no more before I went to bed, but
to make fure the place of Scripture I was to preach on the
I came
next
( 38 )
next day. And rifing in the morning, I had four or five
hours myſelf alone, either. in a chamber or in the fields;
after that we went to church, and then dined, and then
rode five or fix miles more or leſs to another pariſh. Some-
times there would be four or five communions in feveral
places in the three months time. I eſteemed theſe viſits in
Ireland, the far beſt time of all the while I was in Gallo-
way. After the year 1647. or 1648. the general affembly
fent no more any for vifits to Ireland, becauſe by that
time feveral godly and able minifters were fettled there.
The minifters with whom I kept moſt fociety, and by
whoſe counſel and company I profited moft, were my
brother MacClellan at Kircudbright, Meffrs. Robert Ha-
milton at Ballantrae, George Hutchison at Colmonell, and
in the presbytery of Stranrawer, Alexander Turnbull at
Kirkmaiden, John Dick at Inch, George Dick at Glen-
luce, and in the presbytery of Wigtoun, Andrew Lauder
at Whithorn, and John Park at Mochrum, who fucceeded
me at Stranrawer; and with all theſe I have been at com-
munions at Stranrawer.
t
1
.
PERIOD V.
The fifth period of my life, I reckon from the time I
was fettled in the miniftry at Ancrum, to this prefent
February 1666. In Summer 1648. I had a call from the
parish of Ancrum, an invitation from the presbytery of
Jedburgh, and a prefentation from the earl of Lothian
the Patron, and by act of the general aſſembly, that year
was tranfported thither, and was received by the presbytery.
I the rather inclined to that place, becauſe I found they were
generally landwart fimple people; who for fome time before,
had not had ſo much of the goſpel as to deſpiſe it. In the
Harveſt following, I tranfported my family thither. I found
the tranfporting very troublefome, being above 100 miles.
and bad way, with a numerous family, fix children, one
of them fucking the breaſt, four or five fervants, and ſome
furniture and books; yet the Lord brought us all fafe thither.
I dwelt a year or two in a houſe of the earl of Lothian's,
till
( 39 )
till one was built for me. The people were very tractable
but very ignorant, and fome of them loofe in their carriage,
and it was a long time before any competent number of them
were brought to fuch a condition, as we might adventure
to celebrate the ordinance of the Lord's fupper, but after
fome time feverals of them began to lay religion to heart.
In the year 1649. the parliament of Scotland and the
church alfo, had fent fome commiffioners to treat with the
king at the Hague, for fecurity to.religion and liberties
of the country, before his admiffion to the exerciſe of his
government; theſe had returned without fatisfaction, yet
the parliament fent again in Summer 1650. the earls of
Caffils and Lothian, Alexander Brody of that ilk, one of
the lords of feffion, Mr. George Windram of Libertoun,
another of the lords of feffion, Mr. John Smith and Alex-
ander Jaffray, to profecute the forefaid treaty with the king
at Breda. The commiffion of the kirk chofe Mr. James
Wood and me, and after that alfo, by my lord Caffils's
procurement, Mr. George Hutchiſon.
To us were joined Caffils and Brody as ruling elders,
that in name of the church, we should prefent and profecute
their defires; and becauſe much depended on that treaty,
I'will out of my own private obfervations, more fully fet
down the fame. When it was firſt laid upon me to go,
I was moſt averfe therefrom: my reafons were three; Firſt,
my own infufficiency, having both a kind of natural antipathy
againſt public imployments and State matters, and having
fome fcruple, that fome minifters meddled but too much
therein: and knowing my own unacquainted nefs with, and
inability in fuch things, and my foftneſs of difpofition, ready
to condefcend too eaſily to any thing having a fhow of reaſon;
not being able to debate or difpute any buſineſs, ſo that
feared I thould be a grief and fhame to thofe that fent me.
Beſides that I could not fpr k promptly the Latin tongue,
which was requifite among foreign divines. This reafon
I expreffed in the commiffion of the kirk: The other two
which weighed as much with me I fuppreffed. The fecond
was, when I confidered the commiffioners fent by the Staic,
1 was got willing to imbark in any buſineſs with them.
Cafits,
( 40
Cafils, Brody, and Alexander Jaffray I had no exception
againſt. The other three I ſuſpected would be more ready
to condefcend to an agreement upon unſafe terms. Lothian
I had found two years before Anno 1648. when the Weſt
rofe againſt the Engagers returning home from England,
that he was very diffatisfied with their rifing, and he was
`many ways involved with the marquis of Argyle, who of
a long time had been very entire with William Murray, and
Sir Robert Murray, negotiators for the king, and who, 'tis
thought, put him in hope, that the king might marry his,
daughter. Libertoun had been long with the king at Jerjay,
and brought the overture of the treaty, and in all his difcour-
fes gave evidence of a moſt earneſt defire, upon any terms,
to have the king brought home; whereupon it is like, he
thought he would have a chief fhare of the thanks. Sir
John Smith had tampered with James Graham 1645, and
was a man of no great ability; and what ability he had, I
fufpected would not be well employed. The third reafon
was, when I looked upon the whole buſineſs, the terms
whereupon the king was to be admitted to his government,
upon his bare fubfcribing and fwearing fome words, without
any evidence that it was done from the heart, I fufpected
it might prove a deſign for promoting a malignant intereſt,
to the prejudice of the work of God, and that our nobles
who had power in their hands, fearing if matters went on
as formerly, that they might be levelled, and knowing that
many in the kingdom would be ready to receive the king
upon any terms, whom poffibly the malignants might bring
home without them, and knowing that after ſo many
fo
backflidings, the well affected were but few, and many of
them fimple, and all of them defirous to give the king all
his due, religion and liberty being fecured, they thought it
ſafeſt to have the king, not looking much what might have
been the confequence. For thefe reafons I was fully refolved
to have gone home, and taken my hazard of any cenfure of
the kirk for my difobedience; efpecially when I perceived
that fundry well affected, whofe judgment I much reveren-
ced, had great fears of the iffue of the treaty; but according
as my nature is blunt, and ready to yield, chiefly to thofe
whom
( 41 )
''
whom I know both pious and wife; Meffrs. David Dickſon,
James Guthrie, and Patrick Gillespie, after fome while's
dealing, prevailed with me to go. One word I foolishly
ſpoke then to them, which many times thereafter met me:
"That ere I condeſcended to go, and to have an hand
in the confequences that I apprehended would follow, I
would chufe rather to condefcend, if it were the Lord's
will, to be drowned in the waters by the way."
That very day we landed at Camphier, Lothian änd
Libbertoun propounded, that letters might be wrote by the
commiffioners, to duke Hamiltoun, the earl of Lauderdale,
and fome other malignants, at the Hague, to come to
Breda, to help forward the treaty. This was not agreed
to, but the propounding was no good preſage of a bleſſing,
and fhewed what fort of men fome were minded to make,
uſe of. But howfoever all theſe came.
When we were come to Breda, it was put on my lord
Caffils, to make fome ſpeech to the king at our firſt receiv➡
ing, and on me to make another ſpeech after him, in name
of the Church. This fpeech I did prepare; wherein were
fome things a little free, fuch as I thought became a mi-
nifter to ſpeak, concerning the king himſelf, and his father's
houſe, and the counſel and ways he had followed. This
I did communicate firft to the commiffioners of the church,
after to thoſe of the State. But it was once and again fo
altered with delations and additions, that it was nothing like
itſelf. Every thing that was thought harſh, behoved to
be delate, and fome things added, fuch as would be favoury
in the entry of the treaty to the king and court. I thought
it was not my part to ſtand peremptory for a paper
of my
own drawing, and they told me it was not my own mind I
was to follow, but theirs; whereupon I agreed to all. So
dangerous it is for a man of a fimple difpofition, to be
yoked with theſe who by wit, authority, and boldneſs can
overmafter him. When we began firſt to keep any meet-
ings, the commiffioners of the State did chooſe Caffils to
be our prefident, and after continued him during all the
time. Some of us at first thought it a benefit, to have him
effdent, of whom we had molt confidence; but we did
*
find
•
( )
42)
42 find it thereafter a diſadvantage, for ordinarily Lothian,
Libbertoun, and Sir John Smith agreed in one voice, and
that fometimes fuch as fome of us were not well pleaſed
with. Now there were to be of a contrary opinion only
Brody and Jaffray, and thus three being againſt two carried
it, the prefident not having liberty to give his vote, except
where there is´ an equality. Some of our number urged
once, that the treaty might be by word of mouth, and not
by papers; but that was rejected. The drawing up of the
papers to be preſented to the king, was committed by theſe
of the State to Brody, and by theſe of the church to Mr.
James Wood; wherein this overfight was committed in the
very firft papers, that the words and purpofe of the inſtructi-
ons were not fully kept to; but both in the order and
matter, fomewhat was altered or left out by them that
drew them up, and more thereafter was altered upon debate
in the meetings, whether for exornation of the language,
or to feem not to be tied to the words and order of them,
or to make things fmooth in the beginning, or if there were
a defign in fome that debated the alterations, that fome
things might not be mentioned at firſt, which they having
founded the mind of the court, found would not be eaſily
granted, I cannot certainly fay. But we found it did great
harm thereafter, when theſe of the court alleged, that we
behoved to reſt ſatisfied with what was in our firſt papers.
We had accefs to the king on Tueſday, yet no papers of
the treaty were delivered to him till the Monday after;
which was fome neglect of diligence, the parliament having
limited the treaty to thirty days, and only granting ten
days more, in cafe there were appearance of agreement at
theſe thirty days end. And after the delivering of theſe
firft papers, Lothian, Libbertoun, and Sir John Smith,
went to Antwerp and Bruffels, and ftaid eight or ten days,
fo that when the king had given us his firft papers the Satur-
day following, no return could be made to them through
their abſence, till Wedneſday or Thurſday of the following
week. We found the king of a courteous and tractable like
difpofition, which made fome of us fufpect that if all had dealt
alike earneſtly, efpecially Lothian and Libbertoun, who moft
frequently
•
(43)
frequently and privately reforted to the court, but moſt
of all Libbertoun, that the king at the firſt had granted all
our defires fully. The reaſon why we thus fufpected,
was, thefe of our number in debating in our meetings
agreed that he ſhould not be fo much preffed in them:
alleging frequently that commiffioners had always power
to manage their inftructions, and that we ought not for
fuch things to break off the treaty, and undo the king and
his buſineſs. None of us three miniſters ever went to the
king alone, but often all together, or at leaſt two of us.
We went feldom, but whenever we went, we had acceſs
and liberty to ſtay, and ſpeak fo long as we pleaſed. We
oft urged that if the king had any fcruples againſt the cové-
nant, or any of the parts of uniformity, or defires of the
treaty, that he would impart them to us: but he never
propounded any ſuch thing to us. One time I lying fick
of the megrum, the other two having been with him reported
to me, that having entred into a kind of diſpute with him
about epiſcopacy and ceremonies; they found that he had
been poiſoned in his principles by thoſe that had been with
him; denying that the Scriptures were a perfect rule in
thefe things controverted; and enquiring how people knew
it was the word of God, but by the teftimony of the
church?
All the while of the treaty at Breda, he continued the
ufe of the fervice-book, and of his chaplains, and many
nights there was balling and dancing fometimes till near
day. At the beginning of the treaty it was reported to
us by Libbertoun, that a gentleman had come to the king
from Paris, being fent by his mother, defiring that by
all means he would clofe with the Scots, otherwife fhe was
refolved never to come out of that cloiſter, through the
gate whereof ſhe then ſpoke to the gentleman. And all
the while it was fo looked upon, that there were two
factions at court, the one (the Queen's faction) was for
the cloſe of the treaty; the other, called prince Rupert
wherein was alſo the queen of Bohemia his mother, and
James Graham, were fuppofed to be againſt the treaty.
All theſe things made me always fufpect there would be
F 2:
·рg
( 44 )
تم
no bleffing on the treaty, and many a time Mr. Hutchison
and I whoſe chambers joined cloſe to one another, would
confefs one to the other, that we were glad when the treaty
was like to break up, and fad when there was appearance
of cloling it. It was found thereafter, 'that in the very
time of the treaty, James Graham by commiffion from the
king, invaded-Scotland with an army; who being defeated,
his commiffion was found, himſelf brought to Edinburgh,
and hanged. It was an omiffion, that we who were com-
miffioners for the kirk, feldom ever met in a meeting
feverally, for profecuting of our inftructions, but fatisfied
ourfelves with drawing up, and giving in our papers, from
the State papers, and with joining with the meetings of the
commiſſioners of the State, when they met. I was diffatisfied
with the whole management of the treaty, for firſt it ſeemed
rather like a merchant's bargain of prigging fomewhat higher
or lower, than ingenuous dealing; and fo far as could be
difcerned, the king granted nothing, but what he was in
a fort compelled to; and which, if he had had his full
freedom, he would not willingly have granted, which poffibly
was rather the fault of thofe that were about him, than his
own. 2dly, The prince of Orange, and one Mr. Mʻdowal
who were employed by the king, were fometimes fpoken
with: But Lauderdale, who had done no good offices to
Scotland before, whether brought in, or coming of himſelf,
was prefent at fome of our meetings and debates, and papers
and refolutions were communicated fometimes to him, and,
to duke Hamiltoun. 3dly, The king in his demands, the
granting whereof he defired to be previous to all his con-
ceffions, required fome things, which altho' they were not
directly granted, yet difcovered his purpoſe and inclination,
as that there fhould be an union of all for promoting his
intereft. And altho the demand did not mention the Irish
rebels and James Graham, yet, if it had been granted, it
ould have included them. 4thly, Some of the king's
mands, as that about the engagers, and that about the
furing the profecuting of the king's intereft in England,
the commiffioners tho' not inſtructed to answer thefe, yet
adventured to go a good length in giving affurance for
>
them,
(45
}
邐
​}
and faid, for the firft they had an act of parliament for
their warrant, altho' it was replied, that not acts of
par
liament, but their ſpecial inftructions were the bounding
of their commiffion, and that fame act of parliament did
not fully warrant what they granted. 5thly, In fome
debates, when they were for granting things which were
not in their inſtructions, it was many a time by them al-
leged, that they had private inftructions, yet when at laſt
fome defired a fight of them, it was confeffed they had
none. Only fome words had been ſpoken by fome prime
men in private conference. 6thly, In the king's commiffions,
which by the parliament's inftructions, fhould have preceeded
any invitation, fome material things were left out, yet they
proceeded to cloſe the treaty, and to invite, and fome
debated that the want of theſe things fhould not hinder the
cloſing thereof. Altho' thereafter when the clofed treaty
was fent home, the parliament by their ſecond inſtructions,
which were no other but the renewing of the firſt, declared
that they did not approve the treaty without theſe. 7thly,
When fome urged that the parliament of Scotland, would
not find themſelves obliged to the treaty, if things were
agreed to befide, or beyond the inftructions; 'twas replied
by fome of the commiffioners, that they had heads, and
eſtates to`lofe, and that the parliament might call them to
an account for what they did, but both the parliament and
kingdom of Scotland, would be bound to all that they had
done in their name. All theſe things I was diffatisfied
with, and in my own blunt way, declared the fame, as
I had occafion to ſpeak; but had not the ability or hardineſs
to debate and argue any of theſe things. There was no
great hafte made the firſt three or four weeks of the treaty,
but when it came towards the fortieth day, it was much
urged by fome of the commiffioners, that by any means
the treaty fhould come to agreement, before that day were
paſt, and when it came to the laſt day that the invitation
to the king was drawn up and to be fubfcribed, they firſt
enquired the opinion of us three minifters, becauſe we could
not have a vote among themſelves, who were commiffioners
of the State: When my opinion was aſked, "I told that
2$
(46)
as I conceived, altho' a State or their commiffioners fhould'
agree with a king, upon terms difadvantageous to religion
and liberty, a miniſter might well ſhow his mind, but if they
went on, it was not a minifter's part to oppofe the fame;
but fubmit himſelf to the government, although not rightly
conſtituted, and defired them to do according as they found
themſelves warranted in their commiffion and inſtructions.”
I am fince convinced, that I might have dealt more freely,
and fhewed them, that I thought their proceedings were
not confonant to their inftructions, and that the honeſt
party in Scotland, would not be fatisfied with them; and
that fo far as I could difcern, there was no appearance
of a bleffing from God upon the treaty: but partly I faw
ſuch a torrent in carrying on that buſineſs, partly I fome-
what doubted my own judgment, and partly my weakneſs
of nature made me neglect that duty.
After this Mr. James Dalrymple ſecretary to the com
miſſioners, was fent home to Scotland with the clofed treaty.
I thought to have written home my ſenſe of the whole
bufinefs, but partly we were ſtrictly forbidden by the com™;
miffioners, to divulge any thing of the treaty, or write any
thing of it; and partly I had obferved Mr. Dalrymple a
little too forward, for that fame way of clofing the treaty.
Altho❜ great hafte was made to clofe the treaty, yet after
it was ended, we perceived no great hafte of going to
Scotland.
The Saturday before the king left Breda, to come to
Scotland, we got notice about three or four of the clock,
in the afternoon, that he was about to communicate kneeling
the morrow after. We that were commiffioners for the
church, prepared a paper and prefented it to him, and both
in the paper and by fpeech, fhewed the fin of fo doing, and
that it would provoke God to blaſt all his deſigns, and what
inconveniency it might bring on his bufinefs, and confir-
mation to all enemies, and what fcandalo fuch as were
honeft, and how it was againſt that which he had granted
în his conceffions, and would confirm fome to think, that
he was but dallying with God and with us; we left him
to think upon it till after fupper, but when we went to him,
we
( 47 )
we found him tenacioufly refolute to continue his purpoſe.
He ſaid, "His father ufed always to communicate at
Chriſtmaſs, Eafter, and Whitfunday, and he behoved to
do ſo likewiſe, and that people would think ſtrange of him,
if having refolved to communicate he ſhould forbear it, and
that he did it to procure a bleſſing from God on his intended
voyage." We fhewed him that we feared the Lord ſhould
indeed declare whether he approved that his way or not;
and earneſtly preffed he would forbear, feeing altho' the
action were never fo lawful, he might upon fome confidera-
tions forbear it; but we could not prevail. He did com-
municate kneeling, and befides fome diforder committed
by the chaplain, Bramble, who was once pretended Biſhop
of Derry, and did give the bleſſing after the action. It
was abundantly known to all the commiffioners, that moſt
of all the malignants and evil inſtruments about the king
were intending to go to Scotland with him; yet no effectual
courfe was taken to debarr them, altho' it was one of the
inftructions to urge the fame.
On Saturday thereafter when all the commiffioners were
aboard, except Caffils and Lothian, who were with the king
at Unfidyke, the new letters and inſtructions from the
parliament and commiffion of the kirk, were brought,
wherein they declared their diffatisfaction with the treaty ;
and fuch other things to be obtained; and declared the
treaty otherways to be null and void, and the perfons
names were fet down who ſhould be left in Holland. Theſe
came to the two lords, and being read by them, and, as
fome fay, ſhown to Hamiltoun and Lauderdale, who were
exprefly by thefe inftructions forbidden to come to Scotland,
were fent aboard to us. How welcome thefe were to fome
of us is not eaſy to exprefs; others, as particularly Lib-
bertoun, were not fo well fatisfied with them, but prefently
we took boat to go ashore, with refolution not to come
aboard till we had obtained fatisfaction to the parliament.
The wind did not fuffer us to go afhore at Torbay, which
was the next way to Unflidyke, but put us to Savelin,
where landing about midnight, and not being able to go in
waggons
( 48 )
waggons to Torbay, the fea being full, we fent two on
foot to Torbay to meet the lords, if they fhould come
thither before we came at them, to defire them not to go
aboard, till we ſhould come to them. For we were afraid
that after theſe letters, (altho' the wind was contrary) both
the king and lords, and the malignants, who fhould have
ſtaid behind, ſhould make haſte to go aboard before any
more treaty. We ourſelves behoved to go about by the
Hague, and rode all night, and coming to Unflidyke about
break of day, or a little after, found that the king and
all were gone. We followed ſo faſt as we could to Torbay,
but all were gone aboard; the two that we had fent met
the lords, and ſpoke as we had deſired them; but they
faid Lothian would needs go aboard with the king, and
drew Caffils along with him. When we were ſtanding
amazed on the fhore, one Mr. Webſter of Amfterdam
comes to go aboard, and warn the king, that the parliament
of England had twenty two fhips at fea to wait for him.
He going aboard in a boat, Libbertoun without more ado,
runs to the boat to go aboard to the reft, and after him Sir
John Smith upon his call, in the fame boat. Brody, Mr.
Jaffray, and we three miniſters ftaid. Some of us may
fay, we never faw a heavier day than that Sabbath was.
After prayer together and apart, when we were confulting
what to do, Mr. James Wood's opinion was to go aboard;
faying that it was a pity that the king and my lord Cafils
fhould be there and none to preach to them. Brody, and
Alexander Jaffray faid, it were to have been wiſhed that
they had ſtaid afhore, but now as matters ftood, it was beſt
to go
aboard and diſcharge their truſt, in the laſt inſtructions
from the parliament; Mr. George Hutchison inclined to the
fame. For my part I told, I had no light, nor inclination
to go aboard: I thought both in regard of the profane
malignant company, and in regard how matters ftood, in
the treaty, we were taking along the plague of God to
Scotland, and I ſhould not defire to go along, but would
go back to Rotterdam, and come with the firſt conveniency.
Hereat Mr. Hutchiſon faid he would go back with me, and
not let it be faid, that I was left alone in a ſtrange country.
I
( 49 )
.
I urged him, that feeing his light ferved him to go aboard,
he would not draw back from it for me. As for me, I
had Edward Gillespie, who brought us the parliament's
letters, and John Don, and my brother Andrew Stevenfin
to go along with. He perfifted that he would go with me,
yet thereby my mind would not incline to go aboard. By
this time a boat, comes from the king's fhip, and letters
from the two lords, defiring us, as we would not marr the
bufinefs of the king and kingdom, to come aboard: yet for
all this my mind was bent for Roterdam. At laft Brody,
and Mr. Hutchison propounded, that I fho only go to
the fhip fide, and there the reft fhould come down to the
boat, that we might fpeak a little of our Bufinefs, and I
fhould take my leave of them, and come afhore again in the
fame boat to this, altho' unwillingly, I did agree. When
the boat was come to the fhip fide, and the reft gone up,
Iftaid in the boat looking they fhould come down; but
Caffils and Mr. Hutchifon came and called me up, faying,
it would be unfeemly for commiflioners of the kingdom of
Scotland, in fight of fo many onlookers, to come to an
open boat to fpeak to any bufinefs, and defired, that I
would only come a little to the gunner-room and peak
with them, and the boat fhould be ftaid till I fhould go
back. I went up and defired a young man that was
with me to wait that the boat fhould not go away. But
within a little while he comes and tells, that the boat was
gone and under fail. Whether this was done of purpofe,
men making a mock of peevifhnefs and folly as they thought,
or otherwife, I will not determine; but I looked upon my
felf as in little other condition than a prifoner. That night
when they were confulting what to do in reference to their
laft inftructions, Lothian and Libberton were of the mind,
that no application fhould be made to the king about theſe
late inftructions, till they arrived in Scotland, faying, that
if they did, it would provoke the king to take fome other
courſe, and not go to Scotland at all. The next day, I
not being well, and having but very ill accommodation in
that fhip wherein the king was, Mr. Jeffrey and I went
aboard another fhip, called the Sun of Amfterdam, where
G
we
( 50 )
we ftaid for ſeveral days, till we were again called aboard
the king's ſhip, and confultation had what to do in reference
to the new inftructions. If it had not been that Sir John
Smith, who uſed not before in his vote to differ from Lo-
thian, and Libberton, had given his vote for applications,
there had none been made before we had come to Scotland;
but he and Brody, and Mr. Jeffrey, being for applications,
'twas carried by one vote; and fo papers were prepared and
given to the king, who by his next papers defired to know
whether the commiffioners would ftand to their firſt agree-
ment, and give him aſſurance of honour, fafety and freedom
in Scotland, as they had done before. When much debate
*to and again had been uſed for many days, and at laít
papers
had been prepared by commiffioners both of State and
Church for exoneration, and in fhort giving up the treaty,
and when there was no appearance of fatisfaction, but rather
of the contrary, all of a fudden, on the Friday before we
came afhore in Scotland, Libberton comes from the king,
and tells, That the king was ready to fwear and ſubſcribe
the covenant. This was fufpicious like to fome of us,
efpecially feeing fome other things which ſhould have been
granted before that, were not then agreed to, and that the
parliament in theſe laſt inſtructions, had not defired the
king's fubfcribing and fwearing the covenant, but an obli-
gation to do it. But thefe other things were afterwards
granted that day. And becauſe ere we came out of Scotland,
it was deſired, that if the king could be moved to fwear the
covenant in Holland, it ſhould be ſo done, the commiſſioners
refolved that they would accept of his fwearing and fub-
ſcription. It was laid on me to preach the next Sabbath
when he ſhould fwear it, and to read the national covenant
and folemn league, and take his oath; the which day alſo
we came to an anchor at the mouth of the Spey. I would
gladly have put it off till we had been in Scotland, or that
fome of the other two miniſters ſhould preach, but all the
refl preffed moſt earneſtly, urging what a great fcandal it
would be; and how far honeft men would be diffatisfied,
if the king's offer of fwearing the covenant ſhould be rejected.
According
( 51 )
According to my ſoftneſs and fillineſs of difpofition, I was
moved to agree.
On the Sabbath morning before we met for fermon, fome
told me that the king was, minded to fpeak fome words
when he fwore the covenant, that what he did ſhould not
import any infringing of the laws of the kingdom of Eng-
land; In that way he ſaid, he behoved to prevent the
ftumbling his Engliſh ſubjects, becauſe in the declaration
annexed to the covenant which he was to fwear, he bound
himſelf to confirm acts, bills or ordinances of the parliament
of England, ratifying the folemn league and covenant;
which acts and ordinances were expired with the late king.
I went to the reft of the commiffioners and told them; and
we all went to the king and told him, that we could not
receive his oath, if he added any thing to the words that
were to be read, that would declare the oath no oath. He
preffed much and long that he behoved to do it; fo that I
began to be hopeful his fwearing might be put off for that
day. At laft he faid, he would forbear to fpeak theſe
words. Yet I urged, that feeing both he and we were in
fome heat and diftemper by that difpute, that his fwearing
might be forborn till another day; but both he and the
commiffioners preffed, that it ſhould not be delayed. For
the outward part of fwearing and fubfcribing the covenant,
the king performed any thing that could have been required;
but it ſeems to have been the guilt not of the commiffioners
only, but of the whole kingdom, of the State, yea, of the
Church, who knew the terms whereupon the State was to
admit him to his government, yet without any evidence
of a real change upon his heart; and without forfaking
former principles, counfels and company; yea when, as
fome fay, letters found among James Grahon's papers did-
evidence the contrary, yet they procecded to admit him
to the exercife of his government; whereas by the laſt
inſtructions by the parliament, which came to the com-
miffioners hands in Holland, ere the king and they came
aboard, ten or twelve perfons exprefly named ſhould not
have come home, yet all thefe perfons except two or three
who were not prefent, did come along to Scotland. Nei-
ther
G 2
.
( 52 )
ther did the commiffioners of the State make any application
to the king, by a ſubſcribed paper about that article of
their inſtructions, till two days after he was landed in
Scotland at the Bogue of Geigh, at which time they were
all in the country; and at this time did Caffils to my
obſervation, give fome evidence of declining; for from the
very time that theſe laſt inſtructions came, he did always
declare himſelf diffatisfied, that the parliament ſhould have
controuled any thing of their proceedings in the treaty, till
they had been prefent to anſwer for themfelves. After we
had landed i drew behind, and left the king and the court,
and never did ſee him again but one blink in Dundee as I
was coming homeward, After we were come to Edinburgh,
the general affembly being fitting, and Mr. Hutchison and
I being defired to make relation to the affembly, of the
proceedings of the treaty, we firf committed what we had
drawn up to fome miniſters in private, and told them of the
king's kneeling at the communion, and of the paper which
we had given him thereabout, and ſome of thoſe things
above-mention'd; but they defired us to forbear the men-
tioning of that paper in the aſſembly, or any thing that might
tend to make the king or his way odious, in the entry of his
government; and we at their defire did forbear.
The while I was in Holland, my wife riding by the miln
of Nether Ancrum, through the unfkilfulaefs of the fervant
that rode before her, fell in the milń-dam, and was carried
down the troughs, till with her body fhe ftopped the outer
wheel then faſt going. Providence fo ordered, that the
wheel wanting one of the awes, and juſt over-againſt that
part of the wheel which wanted that piece of timber, her
body was drawn down and fo ſtopped the going of the miln,
and continued in that cafe, the water ftill falling about her,
till a gentleman who faw her, and was about half a quarter
of a mile diſtant, came running, and caufed the people to
go within the miln, and turn the outer wheel back, and fo
got her cut and carried her home. She was all bruiſed,
and on the third day a fore fever feized her, yet it pleafed
the Lord that fhe recovered, and wrote to me to Holland,
that he thought he was therein an emblem of what our
treaty
( 53 )
詈
​'treaty was like to bring on the church and land. When
I took my leave of the king at Dundee, I being alone with
him, begged liberty to uſe fome freedom with him, which
he granted; after I had ſpoken fome things about his
carriage, I propounded, that he ſaw the English army,
animated by many victories, for his fake coming in upon
Scotland, which at preſent was in a very low condition,
and therefore that he might with his council deviſe ſome
way to divert the preſent ſtroke, by a declaration or fome
fuch way, wherein he needed not quit or weaken his
right to the crown of England; only fhow that for the
prefent, he was not to profecute his title by the fword, but
wait till their confufions being evanished, they were in
better cafe to be governed, and till he were called by the
people there; which I was confident a fhort while's good
government in Scotland would eafily produce. He was
not pleafed to reliſh the motion, and faid, he hoped I
would not wifh him to fell his father's blood. By that
and fome other paffages of my life I gathered, that either
I was not called to meddle in any public State matters, or
that my meddling fhould have but fmall fuccefs; for in
the year 1654. when I was in London, I propounded to
the lord protector, that he would take off the heavy fines,
which they had laid on ſeveral in Scotland; which neither
they were able to pay, and the payment would alienate
their minds the more; He feemed to like the overture;
but when he had ſpoken with his council, many of them
being to have a 'fhare in theſe fines, they went on in their
purpofe.
I
The general affembly appointed fome minifters, and
among them me alfo, to wait on the army, and the com-
mittee of eftates that refided with the army; But the
apprehenfion and fear of what enfued, made that I had no
freedom to go thither, and fo went home, till we got the
fad news of the defeat at Dumbar. After that I got alfo
letters from them that were in Dumfries, who were upon
the fide of the remonftrance, to come and join with them;
but I had not clearness to go. Some while after I went
to Stirling, to the commiflion of the kirk; and there in a
t
1
great
( 54 )
great meeting declared how fenfible I was, that being
over-ruled by fome others, I had not made a perfect narration
of the treaty in the general affembly. The Winter after
the defeat of Dumbar, I ftaid at home, as did moſt of the
miniſters and gentry of the South, and ſo were in a far
better condition than thoſe of ſome other parts, where the
miniſters and gentry went to the North-fide of Forth; for
the English army deſtroyed almoſt all that they left.
Sometimes fome of the English quartered in my houſe, but
neither many nor long. While they ftaid, I did neither
eat nor drink with any of them, nor hardly ſpoke with
them, nor ever went on buſineſs to any of their officers.
Yea, when general Cromwel wrote to me from Edinburgh,
to come and ſpeak to him, I excufed myſelf.
That Winter the unhappy buſineſs fell out about the
public refolutions. My light carried me to join with them
that protefted againſt thefe refolutions, and the affembly
that followed thereafter: and I was prefent at the firft
meeting of fome of the proteſters in the Weft at Kilmarnock,
thereafter at ſeveral of their meetings; but indeed I was
not fatisfied in my mind, that the proteſters kept ſo many
meetings, fo numcrous, and of fo long continuance, which
I thought made the divifion wider, and more confpicuous
than otherwiſe it would have been, and therefore I ſtaid
from many meetings.
About two or three years after the English had in a
manner fubdued the land, there began fome reviving of the
work of God in the land. In feveral parts fundry were
brought in by the miniftry of the word; amongſt which
there were fome alfo in the parish of Ancrum, and other
parts of the South. In Tiviotdale and the Merfe, com-
munions were very lively and much frequented. We had
feveral monthly meetings in thefe two fhires. The mini-
fters in that country with whom I kept moſt correfpon-
dence, were in Jedburgh presbytery where I lived, Meffrs.
James Ker at Abotrule, John Scot at Oxnam, and my fon-
in-law John Scot at Harvick. In other presbyteries, Meffrs.
James Guthrie at Lauder (who thereafter went to Stirling)
Thomas Donaldſon at Smellom, John Feitch at Weftruther,
James
( 55 )
1
James Kirkton at Merton, William Elliot at Tarow, John
Sumervail at Ednam, Samuel Row at Sproulton, Edward
Famifon at Sainton, David Douglas at Hilton, James
Tweedie at Guldon, Thomas Ramfay at Mordington, Luke
Ogle at Berwick. The gentlemen in that country with
whom I converfed moft, were, Sir Andrew Ker of Green-
head, Sir William Scot of Harden, Sir Gideon Scot of
Haychefter, Sir Walter Riddel of That Ilk, and his fon;
Walter Pringle of Greenknow, George Pringle of Torwood-
lie, Alexander Pringle of Whitebank; and their ladies
alfo. As alfo the lady Stobs, the lady Newton, and Mrs.
Elliot of Craigend. All theſe I looked upon as well
affected perfons, and have been often well refreſhed at
exerciſe in their houfes, and at communions where fome of
them had intereft, and at communions with feveral of the
minifters before-mentioned, all within the province of Merje
and Tiviotdale, and at Borthwick, Ormiston, Whitekirk,
and Innerwick, within the province of Edinburgh.
A motion being made at one communion, about chriftians
honouring God with their fubftance, the gentlemen above
named, together with moſt of the minifters before-men-
tioned, and ſome few other profeffors, agreed among
themſelves, and ſubſcribed to give a certain portion yearly,
which came in all to 50 Lib. fter. a year, and was employed
only upon diftreffed chriftians, and breeding of hopeful
youth in learning.
In Summer 1654. Mr. Patrick Gillespie, Mr. John
Menzies and I, were called by letters from the Protector
to come to London: I went becauſe he had the preſent
power over the land, and I hoped we might procure ſome
good to Scotland. I went the rather, becauſe at that time,
the Mofs-troopers were in the night-time feeking for me
at my houſe, and I was not like to be long in fafety; but
being at London, I found no great advantage, fo I left the
other two there, and came home. After that the parish
of Killinchie in Ireland where I had formerly been, ſent
a commiffioner once and again, with a call to me to return
to them. If I could have obtained fair loofing, my mind
inclined fomewhat to have gone, becauſe of the preſent
diftractions
( 56 )
diſtractions in Scotland, and becauſe that I thought Ireland'
had more need, and more appearance of fuccefs; but many
a time both before and after, I found that things I inclined
to were diſappointed, and fell better out another way.
The fynod of Merfe and Tiviotdale refufed to loofe me,
and five or fix minifters in other parts,, on whofe judgments
I relied, diffwaded me; only they adviſed me that I ſhould
first make a vifit to Ireland; therefore in Summer 1656.
I went over; and our friends in Tiviotdale put themſelves
to the trouble, to fend collonel Ker, and Mr. John Scot
of Oxnam along, to fee the cafe of Ireland. When I came
I could not get preaching in Killinchie any way as in former ·
times, and that I took as a declaration of the Lord's mind,
that I ſhould not go to ſettle there; yea, I did not find above
two or three families, nor above ten or twelve perfons that
had been in that pariſh when I was there. So great a
change had the rebellion and devaſtation brought, and that
all almoſt were new inhabitants. I preached in feveral
parts, and at fome communions, and was at a great meeting
of their presbytery in the North, which was more like a
fynod; where were 30 or 36 minifters, and ruling elders
from 60 or 80 pariſhes, and that presbytery was divided
in three feveral committees, that met apart in three feveral
parts of the country. One of thefe committces had 20 or
24 vacant pariſhes, which they fupplied fending two or
three miniſters at once to vifit for two or three months,
and after that others by turns. The chief of theſe miniſters.
that I was acquainted with, were, Meffrs. John Greg
minifter at Newtoun, Andrew Stuart at Donochadee,
William Richardſon at Killileach, Andrew MacCormick
at Macheraly, John Dryfdale at Portofery, Thomas Pee-
bles at Dundonald, Patrick Adair at Carncaftle, Thomas
Hall at Loughlern, Robert Cunningham at Brodifland,
Andrew Kennedy at Temple-patrick, Thomas Crawfurd at
Dunagore, David Battle at Balemanoch, John Douglafs
at Braid, Samuel Ker at Bellemonie, Jeremiah Oquein
Gabriel Cornwel, William Semple at Kilcoum,
Hugh Cunningham at Ray, William Moorcraft at Newtoun- '
Stuart. Afterwards fome more minifters were placed il
at
the
( 57 )
the North of Ireland, fo that in all they were above 60:
and Killinchie was well provided by Mr. Michael Bruce.
As I returned I ſtaid ſome few days to fee friends in Gal-
loway, amongſt whom I had dwelt before. I, was at a
communion at Stranrawer, and another at Air, before I
came home. During my abode in Ireland, being occafi-
onally at Dublin; the council there urged me to accept a
charge in Dublin, and offered me Lib. fter. a year,
but that was to me no temptation, feeing I was not loofed.
from Ancrum, and if I had been, I was refolved rather to
fettle at Killinchie, among the Scots in the North, than
any where elſe.
*
When in Summer 1660. the word came of the king's
being called home, I clearly forefaw there would enfue an
'overturning of the whole work of reformation, and a trial
to all who would adhere thereunto. In the year 1662.
after the parliament and council had by proclamations,
ordered all minifters who had come in fince the year 1649.
and had not kept the 29th of May as a holiday, either to
acknowledge the prelates or remove, I might well forefee
a ftorm was coming. At the laſt communion we had at
Ancrum on the 12 of October, and which was more frequent
than any before; after fermon on the Monday it pleafed
the Lord, I got my mouth opened in a reaſonable large
diſcourſe, about the grounds and encouragements to
fuffering, for the prefent controverfy of the kingdom of
Chriſt, in the appointing of the government of his houſe,
and in a manner took my leave, altho' I knew nothing of
what was then in hand, and followed fhortly after; but
on the 20 of November, I got letters from fome friends in
Edinburgh, that upon the 18 of that month, the council
had ordained 12 or 16 miniſters to be brought before them,
whereof I was one; I went preſently to Edinburgh, and
kept myſelf cloſe for fome days, till I ſhould in a private
way fearch and get fome notice what they were minded
to do: for if they ſhould only proceed to baniſhment, as
they had the year before done to Mr. Macward and Mr.
Simpfen
H
* See the fubítance of that diſcourſe, fubjoined at the end-
of this life.
( 58 )
•
*
Simpson, I was refolved to appear, altho' the citation had
not come to me; but if that I found that they were upon
fuch a defign as againſt Mr. Guthrie, that my life were in
danger, I was minded to lurk, and not to appear, ſeeing
I was not cited nor apprehended. But finding their fentences
would be only banithment, and Mr. Trail having got that
fentence on the 9th of December, being called before the
council, I did on the 11th of December appear.
<
་
I have in another paper fet down what paſt when I was
before the council *the fum of all came to this, They
required me to fabfcribe the oath which they called the
oath of allegiance, wherein the king was to be acknow-
ledged fupreme governour over all perfons, and in all caufes
both civil and ecclefiaftic. This I know well was contrived
by them, in fo general, ambiguous and comprehenfive terms,
that it might import the receding from, the covenant for
reformation, and the owning as lawful the bringing in of
the Biſhops. And the Summer before, when fome miniſters
of the Weft had given in their fenfe, that they would
acknowledge the king fupreme civil governour, even in
ecclefiaftic matters, that fenfe was rejected. Therefore I
refuſed to take fome time to adviſe about the matter, as
fóme who had been before them had done. This I thought
would import that I was not fully clear, nor refolved in the
matter, and would both render myſelf obnoxious to many
emptations, and offend and weaken many others: There-
fore I told, I needed not take time, feeing I was abundantly
clear, that I could not take that oath. This made them
the ſharper againſt me: They pronounced the fentence of
baniſhment, That within hours, I fhould depart Edin-
burgh, and go to the North-fide of Tay, and within two
months depart out of all the king's dominions. The while
I was in the outer-houſe before the council-houfe door,
being removed till the council advifed about my ſentence;
there being preſent ſeveral of my friends, and a great many
other people, one James Wallace came to me, who once
had
* See a copy of this paper in Wodrow's Hiſtory, Vol.
I. Page 144.

( 59 )
had been a profeffor, and thereafter had turned an antino-
mian, whofe renouncing of antinomianifm, I got from
Mr. William Struthers of Edinburgh, and have yet by me,
and who alfo turned again to the fame opinion and practices,
and when I was in Killinchie in Ireland, he going through
the country came thither, and on a Sabbath when we had
the communion, I perceived him fitting at the table, and
fent an elder to remove him becauſe of his fcandal: This
man being one of the Macers, began a difcourfe to another
Macer, railing on them that would not in all things give
obedience to the king's commandment. After I had been
long filent, all I faid at laft was, The king's commandment
was, faying, anfwer him not. This I perceived enraged
him the more.
After two days, having taken leave of my friends in
Edinburgh, I went to Leith, and thereafter upon petition,
in regard of my age and infirmity, I obtained liberty to ſtay
in Leith till I fhould remove. I petitioned but for a few
days to go home to fee my wife and children, but it was
refufed; I alfo petitioned once and again for an extract of
my fentence; but could not obtain it. During my ftay in
Leith, I was every day almoft through the whole day
vifited by fome friends out of Edinburgh, and fome other
parts of the country. A roll of thefe that vifited me, I
have fet down in another paper apart. In that time through
cold, I took a pain and weakness in my loins, that for
fundry days, I was not able to ftep, or put on or off my
own clothes, yet in a month's time it departed. I had
taken the like before in Summer 1661. in Edinburgh, that
kept me longer, fo as I was forced to be taken home in a
fedan, and for feveral Sabbaths was carried to the church
in a chair. I was many a time in Leith well refreshed in
conference and prayer with thofe that came to vifit me,
and had the company of very many friends when I went
aboard.
At laft in April 1663. I went aboard old John Allan's
fhip, and in eight days came to Rotterdam. When I arrived
there, I found before me the reft of the banifhed minifters,
viz. Mefirs. Robert Trail minifter at Edinburgh, John
H 2
Nevy

(60)
Nevy at Newmilns, Robert Macward at Glafgew, James
Simpfon at Airth, John Brown at Wamphray, and James
Gardiner at Saddle. Here I got frequent occafion of
preaching in the Scots congregation. In December 1663.
my wife came to me and brought two of the children, the
other five were left in Scotland. Hitherto I can fay during
my abode in Rotterdam, I have been in my body as free
of pain and ficknefs, and in my mind as free of anxiety,
as ever I have been all my life during fo long time, and
I make account that my lot is a great deal eafier, than that
of many that are at home.
Now when I look back upon the whole, I find, that the
Lord hath given me a body not very ftrong, and yet not
weak. I have fometimes continued reafonable long riding,
both journey and poft without great wearying. I hardly
remember that I wearied in reading and ftudying, altho
I have continued fome feven or eight hours without rifing,
I have had my ftomach as well after reading a whole day,
as after riding or any other exercife. Since I began to
preach I hardly ever ufed any bodily recreation or fport,
except walking, nor had I need of any other. There was
only two recreations I was in danger to be taken with. The
one I had not the occafion of but fome five or fix times,
and that about 40 years ago. It was hunting on horfe-back,
but I found it very bewitching. The other was finging in
confort of mufick, wherein I had fome little ſkill and took
great delight, but it is 36 years ago fince I ufed it. I had
zwice a hot fever, once in the fchool of Stirling, and again
Anno 1622, in Lanerk. From 14 years of age till 40,
I had feveral fits of the gravel, but hardly ever took it, but
when fame outward evident caufe brought it on, fuch as,
fafting, watching, wetnefs and cold in my feet, or immo-
derate ftudy. I was of a waterifh conftitution, and fome-
times troubled with the tooth-ach. I thought the ufe of
tobacco helped me. Twice through cold, I had fuch a
pain in the lower part of my back, as I could hardly fir,
once in Edinburgh, and again in Leith. I was always
fhort-fighted, and could not well difcern any thing afar off,
but hitherto have found no need of fpectacles, and can read
RS
( 61 )
I
as long at fmall print, with as little light, and with as little
wearying as almoſt any other. My inclination and difpo-
fition was generally foft, amorous, averfe from debates,
rather given to laziness than rafhnefs, and leafy to be
wrought upon. I cannot fay what Luther affirmed of
himſelf concerning covetoufnefs, but I may fay I have been
leſs troubled with covetoufnefs and cares than many other
evils. I rather inclined to folitarinefs than company.
was much troubled with wandering of mind and idle thoughts.
For outward things I never was rich, and I never was in
want, and I do not remember that ever I borrowed moncy,
but once in Ireland 5 or 6 Lib. fterl. and got it ſhortly
paid. I chooſed rather to want fundry things than to be
in debt. I never put any thing to the fore of any maintain-
ance I had, yea, if it had not been for what I got with my
wife, and by the death of her brother, and fome others of
her friends, I could hardly have maintained my family, by
any ſtipend I had in all the three places I was in.
As for my fpiritual condition, I cannot deny, but
fometimes both in public and private, I have found the
Lord work upon my heart, and give confirmations of
kindneſs and engagements to his fervice; but I do not
remember any particular time of converſion, or that I was
much caft down or lifted up. I do remember one night in the
Dean of Kilmarnock, having been moft of the day before in
company with fome of the people of Stuartoun, who were
under rare and fad exercifes of m I lay down in fome
heaviness that I never had experience of any fuch thing,
That night in the midſt of my fleep, there came upon me
fuch a terror of the wrath of God that if it had increafed a
finall degree higher, or continued a minute longer, 1-had
been in as dreadful a condition as ever living man was in,
but it was inftantly removed, and I thought it was faid to
me within my heart, See what a fool thou art to defire the
thing thou couldſt not endure. And that which I thought
ftrange was, that neither the horror nor the eaſe out of it
wakened me out of my fleep, but I flept till the morning,
only the impreffion of it remained freih with me for a
reafonable me thereafter. As concerning my gift of
preaching
( 62 )
preaching, I never attained to any accuracy therein, and '
through laziness I did not much endeavour it. I uſed
ordinarily to write fome few notes, and left the enlargement
to the time of the delivery. I found that much studying
did not ic much help me in preaching, as the getting of
my heart brought to a ſpiritual difpofition; yea, fometimes
I thought the hunger of the hearers helped me more than
my own preparation. Many a time I found that which
was fuggefted to me in the delivery, was more refreſhful
to myſelf, and edifying to the hearers, than what I had
premeditated. I was often much deſerted and caſt down
in preaching, and fometimes tolerably allifted. I never
preached a fermon that I would be earneſt to ſee again in
writ, but two, The one was at a communion on a
Monday at the kirk of Shots, and the other on a Monday
after a communion in Holywood. And both thefe times I
had ſpent the whole night before in conference and prayer,
with fome chriſtians, without any more than ordinary pre-
paration: otherwife, my gift was rather fuited to fimple
common people, than to learned judicious auditors. I could
hardly ever get my own fermons repeated, neither could I
get the fame fermon preached twice, altho' to other hearers, .
I thought it became taſteleſs both to myſelf and others. I
have fometimes after fome years, preached on the fame
text, but then I behoved to make uſe of new notes. Had
I in a right manner believed and taken pains, it had been
better for myſelf; bu by a lazy truſting to affiſtance in
the mean time, I kept myſelf bare-handed all my days,
I had a kind of coveting when I got leifure and opportunity
to read much, and offerent fubjects; and I was oft
challenged, that my way of reading was like fome mens
luft, after fuch a kind of play or recreation. I uſed to read
much too faſt, and fo was fomewhat pleafed in time,
but retained little. My memory was wateriſh and weak, yet
had I improved it, I might have had better ufe of it; for after
that I came from the college, d with no great difficulty
attain to fome tolerable infight in the Hebrew, Chaldee,
and fomewhat alfo of the Syriack: the Arabick I did effay
but the vastnefs of it made me give it over. Igot alfo
much
1
१
( 63 )
much of the French, the Italian, and after that of the low
Dutch, that I could make uſe of fundry of their books, and
of the Spanish and high Dutch, that I could make uſe of
their bibles.
It was once or twice laid on me by the general aſſembly,
to write the hiſtory of the church of Scotland, fince the
late reformation 1638. but befide my inability for fuch
an undertaking, and my lazy difpofition, I could by no
means procure the materials fit for fuch a work.
Now fince I came to Holland, and fo had more leifure
than before, when I was devifing how to employ my time
to fome advantage; I remembred that I had ſpent ſome
of my former years in the ſtudy of the Hebrew language,
and had a great defire that fome means might be uſed,
that the knowledge of the only true God might be yet more
plentifully had, both by minifters and profeffors, out of
the Original text, and for that caufe, in as fmall a volume
as might be, the original text of the Bible might be printed
in the one column, and the feveral vulgar tranflatious
thereof, in the other column in feveral Bibles. Therefore
when I thought what Latin tranflation would be fit to join
with the original text, for a Latin Bible, I found that for
the old teftament, Junius's verfion varies much from the
native phrafe, and order of the Hebrew, and Pagnin's
veifion as Montanus hath helped it, comes indeed near
the Hebrew; but if printed and read alone, in many places
it yields almoſt no fenfe; therefore I thought Pagnin's
own tranſlation, would be fitter to put in a column over
againſt the Hebrew, only that it were needful, that in
feveral places it might be amended out of later and more
accurate tranflations. For this caufe much of my time in
Holland I fpent, in comparing Pagnin's verfion with the
original text, and with the later tranflations, fuch as
Münfter's, the Tigurine, Junius, Diodate, the English,
but eſpecially the Dutch, which is the lateſt and moſt
accurate tranſlation; being encouraged therein, and having
the approbation of Voetius, Effenius, Nethenus and Leuf-
den and fo through the whole old teftament wrote fome
emendations on Pagnin's tranflation. I alfo took fome
time
(64)
time in going through the English Bible, and wrote a few
diverfe readings, and fome explanatory notes, and fome
reconciliations of feemingly contrary places, to have been
inferted either among the marginal readings, or printed
in two or three fheets in the end of the Bible: but the
death of worthy John Graham provoſt of Glasgow, who
was ready to have borne moſt of the charges of printing,
ſtopped both thefe enterprizes. Therefore upon a mo-
tion from doctor Leufden, that a printer in Utrecht would
print a Latin Bible, having for the Old Teſtament, Pag-
nin's tranflation fo amended, I fent doctor Leufden all
thefe papers, but as yet have not heard of any thing done.
Now, whether my conſtant fitting at theſe ſtudies; or
one time úpon bufinefs walking long to and again through
the town, without rendring urine, fo as at laſt my urine
was bloody, or any other former infirmity, or age creeping
on may have been the occafion, I cannot determine; but
fince the year 1667. and thereafter, I have fuch a conftant
pain in my bladder, eſpecially when I walk, that I have
been forced to take a houfe nearer the kirk. Yet neither
I nor ſuch phyſicians as I confult, can be certain whether
it be a ſtone, or only a carnofity in my bladder. Alfo
my hand fhakes fo, that fometimes I can hardly write
any at all. Otherwiſe, I blefs the Lord, I find hitherto
no great defect, either of body or mind.
APPENDIX. Å
SOME things were propofed to have been added to the
foregoing life, as firft a difcourfe by Mr. Livingston,
on Monday 13th October 1662. after the laſt communion
he had at Ancrum, which he mentions with approbation:
but the copy having only been taken from his mouth, by
the pen of an innacurate amanuenfis, it were injurious to
his worthy memory, to tranſcribe the fame literally; and
therefore the Editor prefumes rather to give what he con- ·
ceives to be the fubftance of the fame, than the copy itſelf.
?
After
( 65 )
AFTER fignifying his ftrong expectations that he would be
quickly removed from that people, and that he might not get
another opportunity to falute them,(which fell out according
to his fears) he doth with a great deal of fervour and
affection teſtify his love to them, and his prayer that 'the
Lord who bleffeth the feed that is fown in the ground,
might blefs his labours among them, and make the fruit
thereof to appear when he was gone.
Next he read to them Matth. x. 32. where Chriſt ſays,
Whofoever therefore ſhall confefs me before men, him will
I confefs alfo before my Father who is in heaven; and there-
from had a fpeech to this effect, "Chriſtianity is nothing
elſe now than it was formerly. There are four pillars in it,
to ſpeak fo, A man believeth with the heart, and that
bringeth in another, viz. Righteoufncfs: A third, Man
confeffeth with his mouth, and that brings in a fourth,,
which accompliſheth all, viz. Salvation. There are two
main ways, whereby Satan prevails over poor creatures,
fometimes he allures, and at other times he terrifies them.
There are the lufts of the fleſh, and the love of the world,
and of honour; theſe engines have a kind of enticing quality,
and if they fail, he bends up terrors, and maketh them afraid.
Now,as an antidote againſt theſe, our Lord holds forth the
words which we have read; and, becauſe mary are ready
to find out ſtrange ways to fave themſelves, their means
and their life, he propones it very fharply, Whofoever denicth
me (fays he) before men, him will I deny, &c. Now this
is the moſt tickliſh point in all divinity, and the rock on
which many beat out their brains; Satan way-lays.people
and enticeth them to deny JESUS CHRIST, and alas that
his influence is fo great in the time wherein we live. Some
think if it were JESUS CHRIST, and if it were a funda-
mental point they were called to confefs, they would ſtand
'for it with life and eſtate; but it is thought that Chriftians
now ftand upon fome things, that are but fancies and nice
fcrupulofities, and if there be any thing in them, it is but
a ſmall matter; and ſhall a man venture his life and all upon
a fmall thing? Well, if they be none of CHRIST's fall
things, let them go; but if they be one of his truths,
I
( 66 )
ye call that a fmall thing? His fmall things are very great
things. It might be`proven unto you, that there never
was a controverſy ſince the beginning of the world, even
touching the moſt momentous truths, that was not ac-
counted a ſmall thing, while it was an occafion of trial; and
that the thing which is now become the occaſion of trial to
many, is no leſs than the free exerciſe of the kingly and
royal office of JESUS CHRIST, in the difcipline and go-
vernment of his houſe. But fome of you will fay, This
is but a matter of diſcipline and government, and why need
we make fo great ado about this? For filencing fuch ob-
jections, let us uſe this compariſon; A gardner is appointed
to keep his maſter's garden, and after a while he cafts down
the rails and hedges about the fame: His mafter challenges
him for doing fo; The other anfwers, I have not meddled
with your fruit-trees, your flowers nor your herbs, I have
only caft down the fences, and that is but a final thing.
You poffibly reckon it ſo, ſays his maſter, but in doing that
fmall thing, you open a gap for the beaſts to come in and
fpoil all.
Our bleffed LORD JESUS was of another mind,
when he faid, The faithful fervant is faithful in a little,
and if it be a ſmall thing, the fervant that is faithful in it,
doth thereby teftify his love to his mafter, as much as in
a greater matter. Take another fimilitude; A tenant, in
his maſter's abſence, doth,upon the intreaty of his neighbour
tenant, give him a butt or half a ridge of ground: and
when, at his maſter's return, he is challenged for fuffering
the other to change his march-ſtone, he anfwers, It was a
fmall thing, Sir, and ye have ground enough beſides. Would
his maſter accept that anſwer off his hand? Satan always
fhapes a trial, and puts it to fuch a frame he can draw to
a ſmall point, and fet it, as ye uſe to ſay, in aciem novaculi,
like a razor's edge, that many think there is little between
the two; and yet the one fide is a denying of CHRIST, and
the other a confeffing him. It may be you that are the
people, think the minifters too peremptory in theſe days,
and that we might go on fome length, that ye and we may
abide together; it ſeems (fay you) that we care little for
you, when we will not yield fomewhat. The Lord knows
whether
( 67 )
-*
whether or not we have love to you, and that we could do
any thing in our power for your welfare; but we dare not
exceed our inſtructions. Take this further fimilitude; A
certain man gets his maſter's flock to keep, and gets in-
ftructions to abide by his flock, and not to acknowledge any
judicature beyond his border. Sometime after this, he is
fummoned to a foreign court, with certification, if he re-
fuſed to go, they would drive away the flock and ſpoil his
maſter's goods. Now, fays the man, I am in a ſtrait, If I
go, I will betray my maſter's liberty; and if I go not, the flock
will be abufed: but I remember my mafter gave me aſſur-
ance, that his flock fhall lack nothing, and fhall get no
hurt. Notwithſtanding, they, will have the fervant to go,
and would perfuade him that it were better to acknowledge
an unlawful court, and unlawful judges, than expoſe his
maſter's flock to hazard: Nay, faith he, my mafter hath
given me affurance that let his flock be driven and poinded
as they will, and let them ſtand, as they uſe to ſay, till
their chafts fall, yet they fhall never die for want, and
therefore I will let them ftand to their hazard, rather than
betray my truſt. But fay fome, Why may ye not in
fuch a particular acknowledge the magiftrate? For anſwer
to this, take another fimilitude; An ambaffador is fent from
one State to another upon theſe terms: You fhall in your
negociations carry yourſelf uprightly, according to the
inftructions given you. The prince to whom he is fent
comes to propone to the ambaffador, that he fhall acknow-
ledge an ecclefiaftic officer unknown to him; The ambaffa-
dor anfwers, With your liberty, I muſt firſt adviſe with my
inftructions, and having done fo, he fays, I cannot find
fuch an office in all my inftructions; I find in the 20th
of Matthew, that the princes of the Gentiles exercife domi-
nion, but it muſt not be so among church-officers, and
therefore I dare not go beyond that. To kings and princes
we ſhall give their due, and we acknowledge they have a
power to rule about ecclefiaftical things, but then it is not
a fpiritual power; for fuch a power is only competent to
JESUS CHRIST. Would any prince take it wellaf ang ther
fhould fay to him, Ye have fuch and fuch officers in your
I 2
houſe.
( 68 )
houfe, but I will have certain other officers? Or, would the
maſter of a private family take it well, if another ſhould
come and appoint him fervants? Some think fuch an officer
a ftrengthening of the civil powers greatly, but truly do-
'minion in church-men hath been the greateſt enemy that ever
civil powers had; and if ye will go upon theſe terms, ye
cannot avoid a pope. But you will perhaps fay, May not
minifters be filent? What need have they to endanger their
miniſtry, their family, and every thing elfe, by fpeaking
things that they had better forbear? Can they not hold
themſelves fatisfied with preaching faith and repentance?
In fo far, my friends, you fay well; Faith and Repentance
are very comprehenfive duties; and I confeſs I never de-
lighted to hear a man, the moſt part of whofe preaching is
what they call, on the public, and meddling with State-
matters: But there are times and feafons wherein a man's
filence may bring a curfe upon his head; As fuppofe there
is á besieged city, and a watchman with a guard fet at the
Weft-port, with a commiffion to found the trumpet whenever
hé fees any danger; according as it is in Nehemiah iv. and
in the iii. and xxxiii. chapters of Ezekiel. Well, he feeth
the enemy coming on; but, inſtead of holding by his in-
ftructions, he marches all his force to the Eaft-port, which
is the far ftronger, and where there is no imminent danger;
there he ſtands where there is none to oppofe him, and in
'the mean time, the ſtation he was placed in, is deferted,
`and the enemy comes in as a flood: Juft fo is it with the
man who will preach only againſt popery, and meddle with
no other controverfies; and it may be if popery come along,
as indeed we have reafon to believe it will be the next trial,
then he will preach you good moral doctrine. Now, Can
the man who believes fo, be accounted Faithful? or can he
look for a glad fight of JESUS CHRIST on his death-bed?
When his Mafter fhall fay, Ha Sir, I know you well
enough ye did fpeak indeed but never in a mifter; ye did
fpeak, as they ufe to fay, when none fpeired at you, ye
were ftout then; but when my cauſe came in hand, and
when ye ought to have borne up my banner, ye would not;
Therefore get you gene." And having fo faid, he cloſed
with prayer
WHAT
(69)
WHAT befel Mr. Livingston after this, is recorded by
himſelf. It was intended to have given a copy of his
examination before the Privy-council, and of his letters to
his parishioners; but theſe are already in print: and what
hath diſpoſed us the rather to omit thefe, is, to make way
for the memorable characters given by Mr. Livingſton of
the eminent minifters and profeffors of his time, which came
to hand after propofing the other. And therefore it fhall
only be further obſerved here, That this eminent miniſter
died at Rotterdam, Auguft, 9th, 2672. Some of his laft"
words were, "Carry my commendations to JESUS CHRIST,
till I come there myfelf." After a pauſe, he added, "I die
in the faith, That the truths of God which he hath helped
the Church of Scotland to own, fhall be owned by him
a truths, fo long as fun and moon endure and that
Independency, though there be good men and well-meaning
profeffors of that way, will be found more to the prejudice
of the work of God than many are aware of, for they
evaniſh into yain opinions. I have had
my own faults as
other men, but he made me always abhor fhows. I have r
knew given offence to many, through my flackneſs and
negligence, but I forgive and defire to be forgiven. I
cannot fay much of great fervices, yet if ever my heart was
lifted up, it was in preaching JESUS CHRIST."
After a
paufe, for he was not able to ſpeak much at a time, he
faid, "I would not have people to foretaft the worſt, but
there is a dark cloud above the Reformed churches; which
prognofticates a ftorm coming." His wife fearing what ſhortly
followed, defired him to take leave of his friends; "I dare
not," replied. he, with an affectionate tendernefs," but itis
like our parting will only be for a ſhort time." And then he
Дlept in the Lord.
'
Them that fleep in Jefus will God bring with him.
:
Whis new. Mr. Livistory bring by
o Tyranny of the Vines he held in
bliged to reburit ſo
to vubmit to banishment to Halland,
heres he died; his Sore afterwards
come
ver to work in rotted at new Amsterdam
in posessions of the
promoted to one of
first offices in Government, & theres died
ing behind him a Character remaghably for
Holland, wheres has wear
Behind fim
lange family
wired in that.
left
habren who have been long renows
entry for wilden & virtute two of his
no had long enjoyed the finst honourable
government; Thes best in heathy
thee is
lavity behind him four Daughters, and
Sereef was married to the Braves Gongrel
Mountgomery who fell before the wake of
weback. Another of his sons rementable
or his wisdom. and batristition is
overnor of the Independent State of
New Bersey this prevent year. 87..
now
EX
Memorable CHARACTERISTICS
१,००
AND
REMARKABLE PASSAGES OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE,
pt. 2
EXEMPLIFIED IN THE
LIVE S
O F
A confiderable Number of the moſt eminent DIVINES and
PRIVATE CHRISTIANS, who lived in SCOTLAND,
during the firft Century aft the Reformation.
Collected by the famous Mr. JOHN LIVINGSTON,
fometime Miniſter of the Gofpel at ANCRUM.
Heb. xii. *I.
Seeing we are compaſſed about with
fo great a Cloud of Witneſſes - let us run with patience
the Race that is fet before us.
GLASGOW.
Printed by WILLIAM DUNCAN fen. for ANDREW STE-
VENSON, Writer in Edinburgh. M.DCC.LIV.
Entred in Stationers Hall.
UNIVERSIT
GENERAL LIBRARY
ን
Gift
Tappan Pertai
1-23-1932
1
ADVERTISEMENT, by the Publiſher.
THE former impreffion of the preceeding life, having
been moſt inaccurately printed, partly owing, as would
feem on a compariſon of the fame with the manufcript
whence my impreffion is taken, to the unfkilfulneſs of the
tranfcriber of that first impreffion, and there being fome few
tautologies and Scoticifms, both in that impreffion and in the
fubfequent characters, which do not confiſt fo well with the
taſte of the prefent age, as that wherein the venerable and
worthy author lived; the prefent editor, hath by the advice
of fome proper judges, made a few alterations upon the
author's ftile, without varying his method, or in the leaft
encroaching upon the truth of his relation: And if any have
fufpicions on this head, let them apply to the publiſher,
who can eaſily refolve all reaſonable doubts concerning it.
The references at the end of feveral of the following
Characters, to Mr. Calderwood's Hiftory and fome
others, are added by the Publiſher.
BX
909.9
.478.
( 3 )
MEMORABLE CHARACTERISTICS, &c.
CHA P. I.
Containing a brief relation of fome of the miniſters of
Scotland, eminent for grace and gifts, faithfulneſs and
fuccefs, of whom I have only heard.
I.
MR.
R. JOHN KNOX minifter at Edinburgh, and the
chief reformer of the church of Scotland, whofe life
is pretty fully related in his hiſtory of our church, and the
fame, together with his effigies and writings, recorded in
Fack Verlyden's collection of the chief reformers, printed
at the Hague anno 1602. was a man of a moſt heroic and
divine ſpirit. It is reported that he difpoffeffed an evil
fpirit at Ormiston, and that the queen regent faid, She was
more afraid of his prayers than of an army of ten thouſand
men. Of him the earl of Morton lord regent teſtified over
his grave when he was interred anno 1672. There lies one
who never feared flesh.
2. Mr. JOHN ROW minifter at St. Johnston, faid to
be an Italian fent by the pope to oppofe the reformation
in Scotland, but being converted to the truth, became a
great propogater and preacher of it. Of him are defcended
all of the name of Row in Scotland.
$
3. Mr. JOHN DAVIDSON miniſter at Preftonpans
who fhewed in feveral inftances that he was endowed with
fomewhat of the Spirit of prophecy. He foretold Mr.
John Ker when going in the habit of a courtier, with his
fcarlet cloak, that he behoved to fucceedhim in the miniſtry;
which accordingly came to pafs. One time being moderator
of the fynod of Lothian, which fat at Tranent, Mr. Fahr
Spotifwood minifter at Calder, and Mr. James Law minifter
at Kirklifton, being before them for playing at the foot-
ball on the fabbath, Mr. Davidſon urged that they migh“.
be depofed; but the fynod in refpect of the paucity of
miniſters, and as that was their first fault of the kind,
K
agreed
( 49 )
agreed, they ſhould only be rebuked: So they being called
in, Mr. Davidſon faid, Come away, my pretty football-
men, then he rebuked them as became his place; and
having fo done, he turning to his brethren, faid, Now
brethren, let me tell you what reward ye fhall get for
your lenity, Thefe two men fhall trample on your necks,
and on the necks of the minifters of Scotland. And how
true this proved, was afterwards too well known, when
Spotifwood was made archbishop of St. Andrews, and Larv
of Glasgow.
At another time being at dinner in the
houſe of one of the baillies of Edinburgh, he faid to Mr.
Robert Bruce, who alſo dined with them, This man for
all his courteſy to us now, fhall in a little time carry us
both to priſon; which fell out as he foretold. See more
of him in Calderwood's hiſtory, p. 317, 404, 420, 449,
471, 472.
4. Mr. JOHN CRAIG miniſter at Edinburgh, who
penned the national confeffion or covenant, was a man of
rarc learning, and one over whom providence was pecu-
liarly careful; An inftance of which was, that he having
for the love of the reformation, fled out of Italy, and having
for fear of being apprehended, been obliged to lurk in
obfcure places in the day-time, and to travel in the night,
whereby any little thing he had was foon exhaufted, a dog
brought him a purfe with fome gold, whereby he was
ſuſtained till he efcaped the danger of being taken.
Gald. p. 165, 166, 167, 171, 267. He wrote a catechifn
which was firfl printed by order of the affembly.
See
5. Mr. ANDREW DUNCAN miniſter at Graill in Fife,
was for the truth's fake impriſoned by order of K. James
VI. in the cafle of Blackneſs, and continuing ſtedfaft in his
adherence to the grounds on which he ſuffered, he was
afterwards banifhed the kingdom. He went and ſettled at
Berwick, but he having ſeveral children, and his wife big
with another, they were reduced to great ftraits, obliged to
part with their ferant, and ſcarce had food neceffary for
fuftaining themfelves. One night the children afking bread
and
}
( 5 )
}
and there being none to give them, they wept fore; the
mother alſo was much depreffed in ſpirit, but Mr. Duncan
had recourſe ſometimes to prayer, and in the intervals
endeavoured to cherish his wife's hope and pleaſe the
children: At length he got the children to bed, but his
wife mourned heavily, in which the fhewed more of the
tenderneſs of a mother than the confidence of a Chriftian;
whereupon he exhorted her to wait patiently upon God who
was now trying them, but would undoubtedly provide for
them; and added, That he was fure if the Lord fhould
rain down bread from heaven they would not want: This
confidence was the more remarkable, that they had neither
friend nor acquaintance in the place to whom they could
make their ſtraits known, and yet before moining a man
brought them a fackfull of provifions, and went off without
telling whence they came, though intreated to do ſo. When
Mr. Duncan opened the fack to ſee what God had fent him,
he found therein a bag with 20 Lib. Scots money, two
loaves of bread, a bag of flower, another of grotts and ſuch
like provifions, and having brought the whole to his wife,
he faid, See what a good mafter I ferve: and then ſhe hired
a maid again. Some time thereafter, his wife's pains came
upon her while as yet fhe wanted cloaths, and other pro-
vifions for her in-lying, and the child's cloathing. But
behold how providence did again ftep in for their relief,
while the woman travailed in the night feafon, and the
good man knew not where to apply for a midwife, a gentle-
woman came riding early in the morning to the door of their
houfe, and having fent back her fervant, with orders to
return with the horſe againſt a certain time, ſhe aſked the
maid how her miſtreſs was, and defired access to her;
which when ſhe had obtained, fhe cauſed a good fire to be
made, and defired the woman to rife out of bed, and be of
good comfort; Then faid the to Mr. Duncan, Sir, ye milfi.
help and we ſhall need no more: So they two brought her
to bed. And having done fo, fhe took out two fine fuits
of child-bed linnens which fhe had pinned to her ſkirts,-
with two fuits of night-cloaths, a holland veft to fit up
with, a fine ſheet for the bed, a box with drawers in it
containing
S
K 2
(6)
containing ſpiceries and five double pieces of gold, all which
fhe gave to them, and bid them be of good comfort, they
fhould not want; and after ſhe had with Mr. Duncan's help
laid up his wife, and dreffed the child, fhe went away on
the horſe which by that time was come back for her, but
would never tell her name, nor from whence fhe came.
6. Mr. WILLIAM AIRD, bred a maſon, being preſſed
in fpirit to betake himſelf to the miniſtry, went to fchool,
profited well in his ftudies, efpecially of the Hebrew tongue,
and was fettled at Weftkirk. King James hearing he was
in ftraits, thought fit fome days before the meeting of an
affembly at which he thought to bring in Biſhops, to ſend a
courtier to him with a purſe of gold in expectation of fecur-
ing his vote thereby, but though at that very time he had
neither bread, meal, nor money in his houfe, yet he re-
fufed the king's gift as what he had no freedom to take as
the cafe ftood; and next morning while he and his family
were at prayer,. a well-affected perfon in the pariſh who
knew his ſtraits, fent him fome facks of meal, which they
fet down at his door, and went away, leaving the meal to
be made uſe of by the family.
7. Mr. WILLIAM ROW miniſter at, Strathmiglo, fon
of Mr. Row miniſter at Perth, was an upright and bold
man; He being to open up the fynod of Perth anno 1607,
to which king James fent lord Scoon captain of his guards,
to force them to accept a conftant moderator, Scoon fent
notice to Mr. Row, that, if in his preaching he uttered
ought againſt conftant moderators, he fhould cauſe ten or
twelve of his guards diſcharge their culverins at his noſe ;
and when he attended the fermon which preceeded that
fynod, he stood up in a menacing pofture to outbrave the
preacher. But Mr. Row no way diſmayed, knowing what
vices Secon was chargeable with, particularly that he was
a great belly-god, drew his picture fo like the life, and
condemned what was culpable in it with fo much feverity,
that Scoon thought fit to fit down, and even to cover his
face. After which Mr. Row proceeded to prove that no
constant
(7)
conftant moderator ought to be fuffered in the church, but
knowing that Scoon underſtood neither Latin nor Greek,
he wifely avoided naming the conftant moderator in English,
but always gave the Greek or Latin name for it. Sermon
being ended, Scoon faid to fome of the nobles attending
him, You fee I have fcared the preacher from meddling
with the conſtant moderator, but I wonder who he ſpake fo
much againſt by the name of preftos ad vitam. They told
him that it was in Greek and Latin the conftant moderator:
which ſo incenſed him, that when Mr. Row proceeded to
conſtitute the fynod in the name of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt,
Scoon faid, the devil a Jefus is here, and when Mr. Row .
called over the roll to chooſe their moderator after the
ancient form, Scoon would have pulled it from him; but
he being a ſtrong man, held off Scoon with the one hand,
and holding the fynod roll in the other, called out the
names of the members. At another time being at Edin
burgh before our affembly there, at which the king wanted
to bring in fome innovation, and meeting with Mr. James
Melvil, who was fent for by the king, he accompanied him
to Holyroodhouse. While Mr. Melvil was with the king,
Mr. Row ftood behind a ſcreen, and not getting an oppor-
tunity to go out with his brother undiſcovered, he overheard
the king fay to fome of his courtiers, This is a good fimple
man, I have ftroked cream on his mouth, and he will procure
me a good number of voters, 1 warrant you. This faid,
Mr. Row got off, and overtaking Mr. Melvil, afked him,
what had paffed? Mr. Melvil told him all, and faid, The
king is well difpofed to the Church, and intends 'her good
in all he wants. Mr. Row replied, The king looks
you as a fool and a knave, and wants to ufe you as a coy-
duck to draw in others, and told him what he had over-
heard. Mr. Melvil fufpecting the truth of this report,
Mr. Row offered to go with him and avouch it in the king's
face; accordingly they went back to the palace, when Mr.
Melvil feeing Mr. Row as forward to go in as he was,
believed his report, and ſtopped him: And next day when
the affembly proceeded to voting, Mr. Melvil having voted
againft what the king proponed, his majefty would not
upon
bekeve
(8)
t
believe that fuch was his vote, till he being aſked again, did
repeat it. Mr. Row was alfo one of thofe who defiderated
the truth of Gowrie's confpiracy, and the king being
diſpleaſed with him on that account, and wanting to intrap
him, he cauſed fummond Mr. Row to anfwer before him
and his council at Stirling, against a certain day fhortly
thereafter; but in the mean time, two noblemen were fent
to meet him, the one nigh his own houſe, and the other
a few miles from Stirling, who were under pretence of
friendſhip, to affure him that the court had a deſign upon
his life, and to forbid him to come up: Thefe lords did
as they were ordered; but Mr. Row told them, That he
would not by difobedience to the fummons, inake himſelf
juſtly liable to the pains of law; and proceeded to Stirling,
to the great amazement of the king and his court.
challenged for disbelieving the truth of that confpiracy,
he told them, that one reafon of his heſitation was, That
one Henderſen who was faid to have confeffed, that Gowrie
hired him to kill the king, and to have been found armed
in his majey's chamber for that purpoſe, was not only
ſuffered to live but rewarded; whereas, faid he, if I had
feen the king's life in hazard, and not ventured my life to
reſcue him, I think 1 deferved not to live. See more of
him in Calderwood's hiftory, p. 567, 616, 619.
When
8. Mr. ROBERT ROLLOCK miniſter at Edinburgh,
and the firſt principal of the univerſity there. He bred many
young men, who were afterwards able and faithful miniſters,
for he was a man not only very learned, and yet very plain,
as his works do fhew,' but alſo powerful in preaching. He
was of a moft fweet meek difpofition, and did not ſo
appre-
hend the deſign of the court to bring in Biſhops, as fome
other miniſters did. His life was written in Latin, and
printed. See alfo Calderwood, p. 403, 411. Thonias
Crawford's M. S. Hiftory of the College of Edinburgh,
p. 7. and Mr. Matthew Crawfurd's M. S. Hiftory of the
Church of Scotland.
9. Mr.
(9)
9. Mr. JOHN M'BIRNY minifter at Aberdeen, was a
pious, able and diligent preacher. He ufed always when
he fojourned, to have two Bibles, the one in the original,
and the other in the English language, hanging at a leathern
girdle, about his middle, and a little fand-glafs in a brazen
cafe. When alone, he imployed himſelf in reading, me-
ditation and prayer, and when any company attended him,
he entertained them with reading and converfe upon it.
When he was upon his death-bed, he told his wife,
that he had no worldly means to leave to her and their
only daughter, but that he had got good affurance from
the Lord, they fhould be provided for. Accordingly the
day on which he was to be buried, the magiftrates of Aber-
deen waited on his difconfolate widow and child, with two
bonds, one for an annual maintenance to the mother, and
the other for a competent proviſion to the daughter.
10. Mr. JOHN WELSH miniſter firſt at Selkirk, after-
ward at Kircudbright, and thereafterat Air, for attending the
affembly at Aberdeen, anno 1605. for afferting the liberties
of the church to keep her own affemblies, anl in that
point declining the judgment of the Privy-council, was with
five or fix other minifters condemned as traitors: But
thereafter their fentence was changed to banithment. I
have heard my father fay (who was prefent with thofe
minifters to encourage them at their trial) That when the
guards came early in the morning to Blacknejs, to carry
them to Linlithgow, where the court fat, Mr. Weljh, on
hearing the trumpet at the gate, fprang out of his bed, and
calling to the reſt, ſaid, "Now take courage, my dear
brethren, and rejoice:" Then began he, they aifo joining
with him, and fang the xi. Pfalm. John Stuart provoit
of Air told me, That Mr. Welſh ſpent in ich of his time
in fecret prayer, and that it would fometimes have been
one or two o'clock in the morning, before he came to
fupper; that he uſed to riſe every night for that purpoſe,
and wondred how any chriftian could fleep a whole night
without prayer; and that befide the fabbath-cays exercife
he preached every week twice. The provoit told me
further,
( 10 )
further, that he on a time having left Air in as good
à condition as ever, and went to Blackness, to vifit Mr.
Welsh, This man of God faid to him, "Dear brother, go
home to Air as foon as ye can, for the hand of God is
broken out againſt the town by peftilence, for contempt of
the goſpel, and profanation of the fabbath-day: Let Ĥugh
Kennedy pray for the people, and God will hear him." He
went home as defired, and found that fome were dead, and
many infected with the plague; and that provoft Kennedy
and others having prayed, the plague was immediately
ſtayed. After Mr. Welsh was baniſhed his native country,
he went to France, where he was minifter of two or three
places fucceffively, the laft of which was St. Jean de An-
geley. While he was there, John lord viſcount of Ken-
mure, who was feveral years his lodger at that pláce, told
me, That when the king befieged the fame in the year 1620.
Mr. Welsh affured the citizens that God would then deliver
them: That one morning a cannon ball came under the
very bed whereon he lay, and that notwithſtanding he
kneeled down for a fhort fpace, and would not go out of
the room till he thanked God for his deliverance: That
when every one almoſt had forſaken the walls, Mr. Welsh
went up to them, and having, while the canonier brought a
ball, filled the ſcoop* with powder, a ball from the enemy
carried the fcoop out of his hand, without hurting him
Whereupon he crying Courage, ran and filled his hat with
powder, and loadned the piece, and told the canonier to
level it well at a certain battery, and God would direct
the fhot. Accordingly that fhot difmounted a great gun
which played against the walls, and the king yielded to a
capitulation, on terms honourable for the city; Only that
he and a certain number of his troops, might have liberty
to abide in the town for fome time. However, the city
being in fo far brought under fubjection, the magiftrates
fearing left the king were offended with Mr. Welsh, defired
him to forbear preaching next Sabbath, but he told them,
;
that
* A brazen ladle wherewith they uſed in thoſe days to.
charge the cannon.
( II )
that was no good requital to God for their deliverance, and
that unless he was violently hindi ed, he would go to the
public place of worship, and preach to fuch as would hear
him; and if none comé, I will go home and bewail the
miferies that are coming upon you. The magiftrates feeing
his courage, were refolved to un partners in his hazaid,
and that day there was a thronger meeting than ever. The
French king getting notice of that meeting fent the duke de
Efpernon, with fome of the guards to bring the minifler
out of the pulpit: Mr. Well, feeing the duke piefling through
the crowd, defired a feat to be fet for the marſhal of
France, and perceiving that he flill preffed towards him,
he commanded him in the name of God, whofe fervant he
was, not to diflurb the worſhip, and then returned to his
purpoſe. The duke being ſtruck with amazement fat down,
and when public worship was concluded, Mr. Welſh went
with him to the king. When come thither, the king
challenged him, how he durft preach fo near his perfon,
it being againſt law for any to do fo without his liberty.
Mr. Welsh anfwered, If your majefty knew what I preached,
ye would both hear yourſelf, and command others to hear
me, for I preach falvation only by Jefus Chrift, and am
fure your confcience tells you that your good works can
never merit heaven to you; And I preach that there is
none on earth above your majeſty, which none of thoſe
deceivers about you, who adhere to the pope will fay a
Whereunto the king replicd, Bien vous fevez mon miniftre,
Well, you ſhall be my minifter; and fo diſmiſſed him. In
a fhort ſpace thereafter, the former agreement was broken,
and anno 1622. the town was again befieged by the French
king. At this time Mr. Wel told them that their fins
'were come to a height, and that there was no eſcaping :
accordingly the invaders prevailed; but the king gave
commandment to fet a guard upon Mr. Welſh's houſe, and
ordered that he with his family and goods thould be fately
carried to Rochell.
جع
After Mr. Wel had lived about 14 years in Françe.
he went to Campheir, and was fhoitly thereafter permitted
L
( 12 )
to come over to London for his health, where he died,
fome time before king James's death. Cald. p. 786.
11. Mr. ANDREW MELVIL miniſter of the goſpel
at St. Andrews, and profeſſor of divinity therè, was a man
zealous and bold for the caufe of God. When fome
blamed him as fiery, he faid,
" If ye ſee my fire go
downward, fet your foot upon the fame, and put it out,
but if it go upward, let it return to its own place. He
was long impriſoned in the tower of London, but at laſt
his liberty was procured by the duke of Bulloigne, on
condition he would go to the univerſity of Sedan, where
he taught fome years, and died. See more of him, Cald.
p. 66, 144, 203, 415, 439, 519, 537 - 564, 568, 639,
644.
12. Mr. JAMES MELVIL nephew to Mr. Andrew,
and a fellow-witnefs and fufferer with him, was a godly
meek man. He died at Berwick, January iſt 1614.
13. Mr. PATRICK SIMPSON miniſter at Stirling,
was a learned and godly minifter, whom I heard when at
fchool. From him I firft received the communion. He
wrote the hiſtory of the church in Engliſh, and was a man
well read in the ancient fathers and in church history.
14. Mr. ANDREW SIMPSON * miniſter at Dryburgh,
was a man who cared fo little for worldly things, that he
fcarce knew the current coin of the country, but was much
taken up with his bible and prayer. He was a moſt free
reprover of whatever he accounted finful, and on that
account he was by order of the parliament 1621. impriſoned
in the caſtle of Dumbarton, where the Lord bleſſed his
preaching and prayer, with the converfion from popery of
the lady of Sir John Stuart the captain of the caſtle. After
a while he was liberated and returned to Dryburgh, where,
and at Merton he preached till his death. One time when
walking
Some copits call him Alexander Simpfon.
( 13 )
walking alone he fell and broke his leg, and was found
fitting with his broken leg in his arm, crying, Bleſſed be
the Lord! O bleffed be his name! and fuch like petitions ;-
And when they aſked him why he faid fo, He anſwered,
We ought to blefs the Lord for all that befals us, and that.
he brake not his neck rather than his leg.
15.Mr.JOHN CARMICHAEL miniſter at Kilconqukar,
was a godly and learned man, and zealous in the cauſe of
God.
16. Mr. JOHN GILLESPIE minifter at Kirkaldie, was
a thundering preacher. When I was at ſchool, I heard
him preach helping Mr. Simpson his father-in-law, when
there was a faft which lafted a whole week, and two fermons
every day.
Under this firſt chapter, The author mentions the fol-
lowing miniſters, as amongſt the worthies of that period,
viz. Meffrs, William Balconqual, William Watfon, James
Lawſon, and James Balfour, who were all minifters in
Edinburgh, Mr. John Knox minifter at Melrofe, Mr. John
Cowper miniſter at Glasgow, and Mr. Nathan Inglis mi-
hifter at
who was for nonconformity imprifoned in
the caftle of Dumbarton,
I
CHA P. II.
f fome minifters in the Church of Scotland, whom I have
been acquainted with.
MR ROBERT BRUCE minifter at Edinburgh,ſecond
fon to the laird of Airth, and of whom he had the
eftate of Kinnaird in that neighbourhood, was bred for the
Law, with a view to have been one of the lords of feffion.
For his better accomplishment he ftudied in France; but
réturning home, he was moved by the holy Spirit to apply
himſelf to the ſtudy of divinity: Accordingly he ftudied at
St. Andrews, till found fit for the miniftry. When he
began to preach about the year 1540. he diſcovered an
I
uncommon
( 14 )
uncommon meaſure of gifts and grace, and was moſt ear-
ncftly and unanimouſly called to be miniſter at Edinburgh.
For a long time he only preached there, and could not be
prevailed on to undertake the charge of the miniſtry, till by
joint advice of the minifters of the city, he was (if we may
ufe the expreflion) trapped into it thus. On a time when
the facrament was given there, one of the miniſters deſired
Mr. Bruce, who was to preach in the afternoon, to fit by
him, and after he had ferved two or three tables, he went
out of the church as if fhortly to return; but inſtead of
returning, he fent notice to Mr. Bruce, that unleſs he
ferved the reft of the tables, the work behoved to stop.
Mr. Bruce not knowing but the miniſter had been ſuddenly
feized with fome trouble, the eyes of all the people being
alfo fixed upon him, and many of them intreating him to
fupply the minifter's place, he proceeded to the adminiftra-
tion of the communion to the reſt, with fuch affiſtance to
himſelf, and motion among the people, that the like had
never been ſeen in that place before. When he was
afterward urged by the presbytery to receive in the ordinary
way the impofition of their hands, He refufed it, becauſe he
already had the material part of ordination, viz. the call of
the people, and the approbation of all the miniftry, and
had already celebrated the facrament of the fupper, which
was not by a new ordination to be made void. No mam
in his time did fpeak with fuch evidence and power of
the Spirit; No man had fo many feals of his miniſtry; yea,
many of his hearers thought that no man fince the days of
the Apoſtles did ſpeak with fuch power.
He had a very
majeſtick countenance, and whenever he did ſpeak in public
or private, yea, when he read the word, I thought it had
fuch a force as I never difcerned in any other man.
had a notable faculty of fearching the Scriptures, and ex-
plaining the moſt obfcure myfteries in it. He was much
exerciſed in confcience, whereby he was Signally fitted to
*
譬
​*
He
deal
According to another copy which I have feen of thefe
characters, Mr. Bruce was by the affembly 1587. appointed
to fycceed Mr. James Lawjon in the miniſtry at Edinburgh,
( 15 )
deal with others under trouble of mind. But becauſe
he oppoſed the first motions made by the court to introduce
epifcopacy, and would not join in giving thanks for king
James's deliverance from Gowrie's confpiracy, without
fufficient evidence of the truth of it,, He was imprifoned in
the caftle of Edinburgh, and afterwards confined to the
burgh of Inverness: yet at laſt he got liberty to return to
his own houfe of Kinnaird. At that time the parish of
Larber having neither a church nor ftipend, he repaired
the church, and difcharged all the parts of the miniftry
there. I was his hearer there a great part of the Summer
1627. and many others befide the parishioners attended on
his miniftry from different quarters. It was his cuſtom
after the firſt ſermon to retire by himſelf for prayer, and
one day fome noblemen who had far to ride, wearying
at his long ftay, fent the bedal to learn if there was any
appearance of his coming; the man returned and told them,
I think he ſhall not come out this day, for I overheard him
always fay to another, that he will not nor can go without
him, and I do not hear the other anfwer him a word at all.
Yet at length he came forth well furniſhed for the work of
the day.
He was both in public and private very
fhort in prayer with others, but then every fentence was like
a bolt fhot up to heaven; yea, I have heard him fay, that
he had wearied when others continued long in prayer: but
being alone he spent much of his time in that exercife. On
a time I went to Edinburgh to ſee him in the company of the
tutor of Borington, When we called on him about 8 o'clock
in the morning, he told us he was not for any company;
and when we urged him to tell us the cauſe, fufpecting fome
other thing than we foon learned was the cafe, he anſwered,
That when he went to bed he had a good meafure of the
Lord's prefence, and that he had wreſtled with him an hour
or two before we came in, and had not yet, got access: fo
we left him.
At another time I went to his houſe, but
faw him not till it was very late: When he came out of
his cloſet his face was foul with weeping, and he told me
that he had that day learned, what torture and hardships
do&or Alexander Leighton our country-man, had been put
( 16 )
to at London, and added, If I had been faithful, I might
have had the pillory, and fome of my blood ſhed for Chriſt,
as well as he, but he hath got the crown from us all. I
heard him once fay, I would defire no more as my firſt
requéft from king James, but one hour's converfe with him;
I know he hath a confcience, for I made him once weep
bitterly at Holyroodhouse. About the year 1628. I heard
him fay, I wonder how I am kept fo long here, I have
already lived two years in violence, meaning that he was
that much above ſeventy years old. And when he died
anno 1631. and his fight failed him, I heard that he called
for his houfhold Bible, and defired to put his finger on the
28 verfe of the viii. chapter of the Epiftle to the Romans,
and then told thoſe preſent, that he died in the faith that all
things, even death itſelf, fhould work together for his good.
See more of him in Calderwood's hiftory, pages 218, 366,
367, 379, 383, 402, 423, 425, 444, 446, 457, 469, 479,
495, 736, 785, 788, 815.
2. Mr. JOHN SCRIMZEOR miniſter at Kinghorn, who
went miniſter with king James, when he brought home his
queen
from Denmark, was rude-like in his cloathing, and in
fome of his expreffions and behaviour,but was a tenderhearted
loving man, of a deep reach of judgment, and very learned,
efpecially in the Hebrew. He uſed oft to wiſh, That moſt
part of books were burnt, except the Bible and ſhort notes
on it.' He was ſpecially fitted to encourage fuch as were
dejected: His expreffions in preaching feemed fometimes
too familiar, but were always very preffing. I heard
that he loft feveral friends, and that his only daughter was
feized with the kings-evil or cruels, and had ſeveral running
fores, efpecially a great one in her arm, by which ſhe was
Leduced to the very brink of death, fo that he was one
night called to fee her die: And while fhe was in this
condition, "I went (faith he) to the field in great anxiety,
and began to diſpute with God in a fit of great diſpleaſure,
and faid, Thou knoweft O Lord, that I have been ferving
thee in the uprightnefs of my heart, according to my
meaſure, and thou feeſt I take pleaſure in this child, and..
1
cannot
( 17 )
cannot obtain fuch a thing at thy hand, with other fuch
expreſſions as I durft not again utter for all the world: And
being in bitterneſs, at laft it was faid to me, I have heard
thee at this time, but ufe not the like boldness in time coming,
for fuch particulars. And when I came home the child
was recovered, fat up in the bed, and took fome mcat;
and when I looked her arm, it was perfectly whole." Mr.
Scrimzeor was depofed by the bifhops and put from his
miniſtry by the high commiffion, and lived the reſt of his
days in Auchterderen. He was fore troubled with the
gravel, and was often made to cry for pain. After one of
thofe fits, he ſaid to me, I have been a rude flunkard (i. e.
froward) man all my days, and now by this pain the Lord
is danloning (i. e. humbling or fubduing) me to make me as
a lamb before he take me home to himſelf. See alfo Cald.
pages 708————712, 743, 744, 748, 787.
He
3. Mr. ROBERT BOYD of Trochrig, who was firſt
miniſter at Vertal in France, and thereafter by the influence
of the Sieur de Plefis, was tranfported to be miniſter and
profeffor of Theology at Saumure, was invited home by
king James, and fettled principal of the college of Glasgow
and minilter of Govan. He was a man thoroughly learned,
as his commentary on the Ephefians teftifies; and had
a great turn for poetry as his Hecatomber Chriftiana
fhews. He did both write and ſpeak Latin very fluently.
I have heard him fay, if he had his choice of a language
wherein to deliver his mind, it would be the Greek.
was of an auftere like carriage, and yet was a moſt tender-
hearted man. Notwithſtanding of his fingular endowments,
he made little account of himſelf, but had a very high
esteem of all others in whom he perceived evidences of
grace and ingenuity; but where theſe were wanting, no man
could be a more fevere cenfurcr. He ordinarily wrote out
all that he preached, marking all the artifice both of Logic
and Rhetoric upon the margin, and yet when he came to the
public, he delivered it with as great life and affection, as if
all had been given him in the mean time. Having while
in France taken up his head with no other controverfy but
the
( 18 )
the popiſh, it was fometime after his return ere he thought
of our differences concerning Bifhops and ceremonies, but"
thereafter he abhorred both, and joined with the founder
part of the ministry. The prelates knowing that his emi·
nency both in learning and piety, would influence many to
take part with him, dealt fo by intreaties and threatnings,
and the perfuafion of fome friends, that he gave a little
paper to archbiſhop Law of Glasgow, wherein he feemed in
fome fort to acknowledge the pre-eminence of Bifhops.
Next night after he did fo, he got no reft, and being fore
troubled for what he had done, he fought back his paper
with tears; but the crafty Bifhop pretended, that he had
already fent it away to the king. After fome time, Mr.
Boyd finding that he could not have peace in that place, he
demitted both his charges, and got a call to Paisley ; but
fome profane and popifhly-affected perfons there ftopped his
entry, and threw out his goods. Not long after this, he
got a call to be principal of Edinburgh college and one of
the miniſters there, which he accepted; but the moſt part
of the well-affected having left the other kirks to attend his
miniſtry, this brought upon him the odium of the other
miniſters of the city, who being prelatically affected, gave
information to the king of his non-conformity, and he was
by order from the court turned out of his offices, and obliged
to return to Carrick.
P. S. Mr. Boyd was removed from Glaſgow, to make
way for doctor Cameron. In October 1622. he was
admitted principal of the college of Edinburgh, and
one of the minifters; but the other minifters envying
his applaufe, the king was informed againſt him, and
by a letter from the king to the magiftrates, they
were rebuked for admitting him, and commanded to
remove him. The magiftrates were not obfequious
to this command, and by a courtier intreated, that
Mr. Boyd might be continued in his employments; but
the king renewed the order to turn him out, January
31. 1623. and the year following, he was confined to
the bounds of Garrick. Crawford's M. S. Hiftofy
of the University of Edinburgh.
4. Mr.
+
( 19 )
4. Mr. ANDREW CANT miniſter firſt at Pitſligo, after-
wards at Newbottle, and laſt at Aberdeen, was an eminent
preacher, and ſpared not to deliver the whole counſel of
God before the higheſt. He died about the year 1661.
5. Mr. WILLIAM SCOT miniſter at Coupar in Fife,
was a wife, learned and prudent man. He underſtood the
laws and cuftoms of the nation, amongſt the beſt of his
time. He was one of the eight minifters called up by the
king, before the pretended affembly, which brought in
epifcopacy, anno 1610. and by his prudence was very help-
ful to his brethren; fo that their enemies got no advan→
tage, and he acquired both love and esteem by it. It is
faid, that the earl of Salisbury having highly efteemed him,
offered him a confiderable penfion, if he would ſtay in
England; but he got liberty to return home, and chooſed
that rather than the earl's offer. Sometimes I have been
with him at his houſe, and have been furprized with the
counſel which I have heard him give in very intricate caſes.
He died about the year 1642.
-He wrote the hiſtory
of our church from the year 1610. till Perth affembly 1618,
See Crawfurd's church hiftory.
6: Mr. ALEXANDER HENDERSON miniſter firſt at
Leuchars in Fife, and afterward at Edinburgh, was a learned
grave, and wife man. He was moderator of the general
affembly at Glaſgow, anno 1638. and of feveral fubfequent
affemblies, and a member of the fynod of divines at Weft-
minſter; in all which, and in his conference with king
Charles at Newcaſtle, he gave full proof of his great piety
and abilities. He was employed in ſeveral great matters
for the church of Scotland, and was always faithful to his
truſt. I was feveral times with him on his death-bed at
Edinburgh, in the year 1646. when I heard him exprefs
great peace of mind. See the Rev. Mr. George Logan's
fecond letter to Mr. Thomas Ruddiman, vindicating Mr.
Henderfon from the afperfions caft on him by Meffrs. Sage
and Ruddiman,
M
7. Mr.
( 20 )
}
7. Mr. JOHN DYKES miniſter at Kilrinny in Fife,
was a man well acquainted with the Scriptures, and had a
great faculty in explaining and applying the fame. Every
morning he explained a chapter to fuch as pleafed to come
and hear him, and fo went feveral times through the Bible
with his hearers. I have heard him go through a long
chapter in less than an hour, and pertinently handle every
purpoſe therein.
8. Mr. JOHN ROW miniſter at Carnock in Fife, and
fon to Mr. Row at Perth, was a godly, zealous man.
He was careful to collect the moſt remarkable paſſages of
providence in his time,- He was a member of the
general affembly 1638. and helped to diſcover the corrup-
tions of the former times.
9. Mr. JOHN KER minifter at Preftonpans, whom Mr.
Davidfon named to be his fucceffor, was one who had a
great hand in keeping fundry of the nobility on the truth's
fide, when the land was over-run with epifcopacy and
ceremonies, He was nearly related to feveral great fa-
milies, and for his generous and frank, yet ferious carriage,
he was much favoured by them. See Cald. pages 645,
577,811.
¿was
10. Mr. DAVID CALDERWOOD miniſter at Grailling
near Jedburgh, was for his oppofition to epifcopacy and
ceremonies, banifhed by king James, about October or
November, in the year 1617. He went to Holland, where
he lived long, and wrote his learned book, intitled, Altare
Damafcenum in Latin, and fome other pieces in English,
which helped to keep many ſtraight in that declining time.
After king James died, he came home to Scotland, and
lurked privately in Edinburgh, where he ftrengthned the
hands of non-conformifts, and was alfo a great oppofer of
Sectarianifm. After the reformation in the year 1638. to
which he contributed much, he was admitted miniller at
Pencaitland in Eaft-Lothian. He wrote the hiſtory of our
church, as far down as the year 1625. but it is not yet
printed,
[
( 21 )
printed. When the English army lay in Lothian, in the
year 1651. he went to Jedburgh, where he fickned and
died, and his corpfe were interred in the burial-place ar
Grailling, where firſt he had been minifter. See his printed
hiſtory, pages 579, 580, 675, 677, 685.
11. Mr. JAMES FLEEMING minifter at Bothams,
alias Eafter in Eaft-Lothian, was an ingenuous fingle-hearted
man.
12. Mr. JOHN SMITH miniſter at Merton. He had
all the Pfalms by heart, and uſed at meals to repeat a Pſalm,
or part of a long Pfalm. When he met with any young
men intending for the miniſtry, he ufed gravely to exhort,
and heartily to blefs them. He once took me off the ſtreet
of Edinburgh, into a houfe for that purpoſe.
13. Mr. JOHN KER miniſter at Lyme in Tiviotdale,
was a man who cared nothing for the world. He lived
moſt foberly, and grudged no pains in his miniftry among
the people. He gave almoſt all his fubftance to the poor,
after he had firſt catechiſed them.
14. Mr.
* N. B. The printed copy, which was firſt printed
anno 1678, is but a ſhort abſtract of his written hiſtory;
copies of which are yet extant in the college-library at
Glasgow, in the church's library at Edinburgh, and in the
library of Thomas Calderwood of Polton, efquire. The
publiſher of this character hath ſeen part of all theſe copies,
and accounts it his duty to inform the public, That he hath
heard good judges, who had looked into the written copy
fay, That the ftile and manner wherein it is execute, is
vaſtly preferable to the printed copy; and whoever will
compare the two, or the laft, with Altare Damafcenum,
both of which are in the hands of many, will readily grant
the truth of this allegiance. The publiſher means not by
this, to derogate in the leaft from the truth of the facts
reported in the printed copy: And therefore he hopes none
will be offended at his informing them, that there is a much
fuller and better exccute copy than it yet extant.
( 22 )
14. Mr. RICHARD DICKSON miniſter at Westkirk,
for oppofing Perth articles, was after the parliament 1621.
imprifoned in Dumbarton. After fome time he was libe-
rated, and admitted miniſter of Kinniel, where he remained
till he died, fome years after the reformation in the year
1638. See Cald. p. 712.
15. Mr. ALEXANDER SOMERVELL miniſter at
Dolphington, was a grave able preacher, and of a wife
and meek difpofition; he furvived the year 1638.
16. Mr. ROBERT SCOT minifter at Glasgow, was
depofed with my father for non-conformity, but in a ſhort
time after they were both reſtored. I was with him when
he died, January 28. 1629. at which time he gave an honeſt
teſtimony againſt the corruptions of the time, which is ſet
down in the obfervations on my life.
17. Mr. JAMES GREIG minifter at Newmilns, alias
Loudon, who with Mr. Nathan Inglis were impriſoned in
Dumbarton for non-conformity; but afterwards reftored
to their charges, preached with a great deal of earnestneſs,
and with fuch vehemency, that by fometimes striking two
fingers of the one hand upon the palm of the other, blood
hath come out at the top of his fingers. I heard him ſay,
that in one winter forty perfons in his pariſh, and each of
them above 40 years old, did learn to read, that they might
enjoy the benefit of the Bible. See alfo Cald.
P. 570.
18. Mr. ELEAZAR BORTHWICK who had been
minister to a Scots regiment, in the king of Sweden's fervice,
and was afterward employed as an agent for the crown of
Sweden, and fometimes for the non-conform ministers in
Scotland, at the court of England, was a man very zealous,
knowing, and uſeful in his time
19.
J
Mr. DAVID DICKSON after fome years profeffion
of philoſophy, in the college of Glafgor, was ordained
miniſter at Irvine, about the year 1619. or 1620. He
Was
( 23 )
was tranfported to be minifter at Glaſgow, and profeffor
of Theology in that univerfity, anno 1638. and was again
tranſported to be miniſter at Edinburgh, and profeffor of
divinity in the college there, anno 1649. or 1650. He
was a man fingularly endowed with an edifying gift of
preaching: His painful labours were eminently bleffed with
fuccefs, efpecially while he was in Irvine, and by converfing
with the people in and about Stuar ton; in whofe heart the
Lord had wrought in an extraordinary manner. He acquired
great experience how to deal with awakened confciences:
For thefe reafons he was reforted to by perfons in that
condition, from many places of the country, and not only
were communion occafions twice a year, greatly crowded
at Irvine, but his week-day fermons were reforted to by
many. I heard the lady Culros tell, that the parliament
1621. which ratified the fuperftitious articles of Perth
affembly, having made an act, commanding all the miniſters
then in town, to depart out of it, without a warrant from
fome Biſhop: a number of the honeſt miniſters attended in
the fuburbs, and met at Sicnes near Edinburgh, next day
thereafter (which was the day the articles were ratified)
for fafting and prayer: That feveral aged miniſters, who
were employed from morning till after mid-day, were held in
great bonds, and got not accefs to reprefent the fad cafe
of the church as they would; but that Mr. Dickfon, the
youngeſt of their number, being put to prayer, he and the
whole company, were bleffed with great enlargement and
contrition of heart; and he exprcffed with great confidence,
that the work of God fhould yet flourish in the land, more
than formerly, which accordingly came to pafs, within a few
years at Stuarton, and feveral other places in the Weft,
and thro' Clydefdale. I have heard Mr. Dickfon fay.
that when he firſt entred to the miniſtry, he had no great
fcruple against epifcopacy and ceremonies; but fhortly
after, the Lord having laid his hand on him by fickneſs,
and by a terrible preffure on his fpirit, he was driven to fee
the evil of thefe corruptions. He was for non-conformity
fummoned before the High-commillion court, and having,
given in a written declinature, icfufing to acknowledge their
right
( 24 )
24)
right to judge of his miniftry; He was confined to Turriff.
There he was daily employed to preach, by Mr. Thomas
Mitchell the miniſter; but he found far greater difficulty
in ftudying there, and lefs affiftance in preaching, than
formerly. After a while, fome friends prevailed with the
Archbishop of Glasgow, to repone Mr. Dickſon, on condi◄
tion he ſhould take back his declinature; and wrote to him
to come to Glasgow, in hopes of being reſtored to his flock.
He came as deſired; but though his friends, and many of
them wife and gracious perfons, urged him to yield, and
though he was oft put to a nonplus with their arguments,
and had nothing to anfwer; yet in thoſe days, he put
on a refolution in the morning, to keep by the light he then
had, notwithſtanding of what might caft up thro' the day,
till he ſhould take all their reaſonings before God at night;
and when he had done fo, he was fatisfied that withdrawing
his declinature would be a receding from his teſtimony.
At laſt it was yielded to him, that if he, with any friend
he pleafed, would go to the Archbishop's caftle, and either'
lift the paper, or fuffer his friend to take it off the hall-
table, without feeing the Biſhop at all, he might thereupon
return to Irvine: but he found that to be but juggling in
fuch a weighty matter, and refolved not to meddle any
further in that fort, and to return to his confinement: Ac--
cordingly he fet out on his journey, and was ſcarce a mile out
of town, till his foul was filled with fuch joy and approbation
from God, that he ſcarcely ever had the like; and within
a ſhort ſpace he was, without any conditions on his part,
reſtored to his flock. During his abfence, many chriſtians
in the Weft were earneſt with God for his return, and a-
mongſt the reſt, Margaret Campbell a godly woman in
Irvine, got repeated affurances of it in prayer. After his
return to Irvine, he was the inftrument of converfion and
confirmation to many. He was likewife a happy and fuc-
ceſsful inſtrument in the reformation, anno 1638. and
thereafter; and at Glasgow and Edinburgh he bred u
many able young men for the miniſtry. In the year 1662.
he was, for refuſing the oath of fupremacy, turned out of
his charge. In December that year, though I had but then
48
( 25 )
48 hours liberty to ſtay in Edinburgh, I went to fee him on
his death-bed. At which time he profeffed his joy, That as
our acquaintance had continued near forty years, we now
fuffered, both for the fame caufe. I asked him, What
were his thoughts of preſent affairs, and how it was with
himſelf? To which he anfwered, That he was fure Jefus
Chriſt would not put up with the indignities, done againſt
his work and people: and for himſelf he ſaid, I have taken
all my good deeds, and all my bad deeds, and have caſt
them together in a heap before the Lord, and have fled
from both unto Jefus Chrift, and in him I have fweet peace.
Within a few days after he died. See alfo Calderwood's,
Wodrow's, and Crookshank's hiſtories.
20. Mr. SAMUEL RUTHERFURD a moſt profound
learned man, painful minifter, and a heavenly chriftian, as
in his time, was firſt a profeffor of humanity in the college
of Edinburgh; * thereafter he was fettled minifter at An-
woth, in the neighbourhood of Kircudbright, and by the
general affembly 1638. he was tranfported to be profeffor
of Theology and minifter of the goſpel at St. Andrews,
where he continued till the year 1661. when he died with
great joy and peace. He had a moſt ſharp and penetrating
wit, fruitful invention, and folid judgment. He uſed
ordinarily to rife by three o'clock in the morning, and ſpent
his whole time in praying, reading, writing, vifiting, and
other private and public employments of his miniſtry and
profeffion. At Anwoth, he was an inftrument of doing
much good amongſt a poor ignorant people, many of whom
he brought to the knowledge and practice of religion, and
greatly ſtrengthned and confirmed the profeffors of that
country, who had been the fruits of Mr. John Welfb's
miniftry, while at Kircudbright: And there alfo he wrote
his Exercitationes de gratia, for which, and his noncon-
formity,
* Anno 1623. By recommendation of all the regents,
Mr. Rutherfurd was appointed profeffor of humanity in
Edinburgh college, and in the end of the year 1624. he
demitted, Crawf hiſtory of the univerſity of Edinburgh.
Č
( 26 )
formity, he was fummoned before the high-commiflion,
and becauſe he declined them, he was confined to Aberdeen.
There he remained about two years filent as a miniſter,
but was moſt active and zealous as a chriftian, diſputing
fometimes with the doctors, at other times he did much
good by his private converfe, but eſpecially he did much
good by his heavenly letters, many of which are printed
fince his death. After the renovation of the national
covenant in March 1638. he broke his confinement, and
returning to Anwoth, took great pains, both in public and
private amongſt that people.
When fent to the
affembly of divines, which met at Westminster, he oppofed
both by his preaching and pen, all the corruptions of that
time, and vindicated presbyterial government againſt the
Independents. In all his difputes it is remarkable, that he
avoids perfonal reflections, and marvellously handles the
points of controverſy. About this time alfo he wrote his
Lex Rex, afferting the lawful liberties of the fubject. It is
reported, that when king Charles faw it, he faid, It would
fcarcely ever get an anſwer: Nor did it ever get any,
except what the parliament 1661. gave it, when they
ordered it to be burnt by the hand of the hangman. At
that time Mr. Rutherfurd being on his death-bed, was fum-
moned to anſwer before the parliament; and he was much
troubled, that he was not able to go and fuffer for the
truths he had maintained; but the Lord kept the guilt of
his bloed off the land, by taking home his fervant in
peace.
Some of his laſt words were theſe, " I ſhall ſhine: I
ſhall ſee him as he is, and all the fair company with hinı,
and fhall have my large fhare. It is no eafy thing to be a
chriſtian: But as for me, I have got the victory; and Chriſt
is holding forth his arms to embrace me. I have had my
fears and faintings, as another finful man, to be carried
through creditably; but as fure as ever he ſpoke to me in
his word, his Spirit witneffed to my heart, faying, Fear
not,
*Thoſe letters were firſt printed upon the motion of
Mr. Robert Macward.
( 72 )
66
>>
ot, he hath accepted my fuffering, and the outgate ſhould
be matter of praife." He ſaid alfo, Thy word was found
and I did eat it, and it was to me the joy and,rejoicing of
my heart." A little before his death, after fome fainting,
he faid, "Now I feel, I believe, I enjoy, I rejoice.
Turning to his colleague Mr. Blair, he faid, "I feed on
manna, I have angels food. Mine eyes fhall fee my Res
deemer. I know that he fhall ftand at the latter day upon
the earth, and I fhall be caught up in the clouds to meet
him in the air." Afterwards he had theſe words, “ I fleep
in Chriſt, and when I awake, I fhall be fatisfied with his
likeneſs: O for arms to embrace him." And to one ſpeaking
of his painfulneſs in the miniftry, he cried out, "I difclaim
all, the port I would be in at, is redemption and forgiveness
of fins through his blood." His laft words were,
Glory, dwelleth in Emanuel's land.”
CC
Glory,
Beſides the twenty divines before-mentioned, the author
condefcends upon the following perfons,viz.Mr. Alexander
Martin miniſter at Deer, Mr. James Martin miniſter at
Peterhead, Mr. William Erfkin minister at Dunearn, Mr.
James Chalmers minister at Auchterderren, Mr. Robert
Colvill minister first at Culros, thereafter at Kinghorn,
Mr. John Moncrief minister first at Colfine, thereafter at
Mr. William Bennet minister first at Monimaill
afterward at Edinburgh, Mr. George Grier minister at
Hadington, Mr. Robert Baillie minister at Kilwinning,
afterward profeffor of Theology at Glaſgow, Mr. Adam
Colt minister at Inveresk or Mufsleburgh, one of the eight
who were called up to London by king James, Mr. Andrew
Blackhall minifter at Aberlady, Mr. Andrew Macghie
miniſter at Dirleton, Mr. John Aird mínister at Newbattle,
Mr. James Porteous minister at Lefuade, Mr. John Fer-
gufhill minister at Ochiltree, who fucceeded Mr. Blair æt
Air, Mr. James Ingliſh minister at Daily in Carrick, Mr.
Robert Glendinning minister at Kircudbright, and Mr.
John Murray minister at Dunfermling, who were all or-
dained before the reformation in the year 1638. and were
accounted eminent in their day, either for gifts, or grace,
or faithfulness, or fuccefs.
N
CHA P.
( 73 )
CHA P. III.
Of ten eminent ministers in Ireland, with whom I had ac
quaintance during the time I was in that kingdom, be-
twixt the years 1630 and 1637, most of whom were
Scotsmen, and ſeverals of them were afterwards fettled
in Scotland.
I.
MR.
R. ROBERT BLAIR born in Irvine was first a
Regent in the College of Glaſgow, at which
time he was licensed to preach the gofpel, and was from
the beginning zealous for truth and piety. While he was
a regent, Dr. John Cameron was brought from France,
and fettled in Mr. Boyd's place, that he might promote the
cauſe of epifcopacy. In thofe days it was ufual for the
regents of that univerfity, to meet together and to dif-
pute fome thefes, for their better improvement. In one of
thefe difputes, Mr. Blair having the advantage of his op-
ponent, and the doctor stating himſelf in the oppofition to
Mr. Blair, in a way which tended to arminianifm: Mr.
Blair being urged to a fecond diſpute by the doctor him-
felf, did drive him into the mire of arminianifm; which
redounded fo much to the doctor's ignominy, that though
Mr. Blair and he were afterwards reconciled by the media-
tion of fome friends, yet Mr. Cameron wanting to have Mr.
Blairthruft out of the college made his life fo uneafy,that for
the fake of peace he left the college, and upon an invitation
from the Viſcount of Claniboy, he went to Ireland and was
fettled at Bangor, in the country of Down, about the year
1622, or 1623. where his miniftry was remarkably bleffed,
and he was a chief inftrument of that great work, which
appeared ſhortly thereafter; at Sixmilewater and other
parts in the counties of Antrim, Down, and elſewhere in the
north of Ireland, and this not only by his own miniftry,
wherein he was both diligent and faithful; but ofpecially
by ſtirring up other minifters, as Mr. Robert Cunningham,
at Holywood, and all the other ministers named in this
chapter, with whom he kept a most intimate familiarity.
Mr. Blair was a man of notable constitution, both of body
·and
( 74 )
and mind, of a majeftic, awfull, yet affable and amiable
countenance and carriage,throughly learned,of strong parts,
deep invention, folid judgment, and of a most publick ſpi-
rit for God. His gift of preaching was fuch that feldom
could any obſerve withdrawing of afliftance in public,
which in others is frequent; He feldom ever wanted afur-
ance of his falvation; He ſpent many days and nights in
prayer alone and with others, and was vouchfafed great in-
timacy with God. While he was in England, attending
the king, with a petition for himſelf and his brethren, in
Ireland, falfely accuſed by the biſhops, the Lord gave him
exprefs warning by that place, Ezek. 24. 16. of the death
of his first wife Beatrix Hamilton, which accordingly came
to paſs, and afterwards of the fcattering of the church in
the north of Ireland. One day being at prayer in Green-
wichpark, while the court was at hunting, the Lord affured
him that he would hunt the violent man to deſtroy him † and
while he was earneſt with the Lord for a favourable anfwer
to his petition and had adventured to propone a ſign that
if the Lord would make the reeds growing hard by, which
were fo moved with the wind, as he was toffed in his mind
to ceaſe from ſhaking, he would take it as an affurance of his
diſpatch, the Lord condefcended to grant his defire, with-
in a little it became fo calm, that none of the reeds once
moved, and in a fhort time after he got a diſpatch to his
mind. He was once fufpended and twice depoſed by
the bishops in Ireland; after that he was the chief promo-
ter of the intended voyage for New-England, but when
that was diſappointed and he was in hazard of being made
a prifoner in Ireland, he returned to Scotland, and at the
change in the year, 1638. was fettled miniſter at Ayr.
Soon after this he was tranfported to St. Andrews, were
N 2
he
+ Whether we underſtand this of the earl of Strafford at
that time, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and the author of
much miſchief to Non-conformifts in Ireland, or of Archbp
Laud who greatly influenced fuch meaſures, the warning
here was moſt remarkable. See further, Mr. Blair's life
begun by himſelf, and continued by Mr William Row, now
in the prefs.
( 75 )
•
1
he continued till the other change, in the year 1660, but
was violently thruſt from his charge by the privy council
in the year, 1661. and died in about five years after
that.
:
•
2. Mr. ROBERT CUNNINGHAM, chaplain to the
earl of Bucleughs regiment in Holland, was fettled mini-
fter at Holywood, in the north of Ireland, a conſiderable
time before Mr. Blair went to Bangor, to my difcerning
he was the one man who moft refembled the meeknefs of
Jefus Chriſt, in all his carriage that ever I faw, and was
fo far reverenced of all, even, by the wicked, that he was
oft troubled with that fcripture, Wo to you, when all men
Speak well of you. One time the bishop of Doun, threate
ning Mr. Blair, with a profecution against him, and Mr.
Cunningham, and certain other of his brethren, Mr. Blair
faid, ye may do with me, and fome others as ye pleaſe,
but if ever ye meddle with Mr. Cunningham, your cup
will be full and indeed he was longer fpared than any of
the reft, which was a great benefit to their flocks, for
when they were depofed he preached almoft every week,
in one or other of their kirks, and fo with great pains at
home and abroad he did wear out his body, which was
not very flrong. In his publick preaching he was fome-
times not ſo affifted to his own fenſe as ordinary, yet e-
ven then, I have thought the matter he treated of, was as
edifying and refreshing as any other, but ordinarily he was
born through with a full gale, and uſed more piercing
threatenings than any other. I was with him, anno
1637, when he died, at which time befides many other
gracious expreffions, he faid, I fee Chrift standing over
Death's head, and faying, deal warily with my fervant,
kofe now this Pin, then that Pin, for this tabernacle
must be fet up again. The members of the Presbytery
having made him a vifit, he exhorted them to be faithful
to God and his caufe, and to oppofe the fervice-bock which
was then urged by the Bishops; the Biflops, faid he, have
taken my miniftry from me, and I may fay ny life, for my
miniftry is dearer to me than my life. A little before
his
(76)
his death his wife fitting on a couch at his bedfide with
his hand in hers, He did by prayer recommend the whole
church, the work,of God in Ireland, the parish of Holy-
vood, his fuffering brethren in the miniftry and his chil-·
dren to God: And in end he faid, O Lord I recommend un-
to thee this gentlewoman who is no more my wife, and
with that faying he foftly loofed his hand from hers and
gently thruft her hand a little from him. Upon which ſhe
and fome others in the company having fallen a weeping
he endeavoured by gracious expreffions to allay their
grief, but I have forgotten the expreffions. One time
when Mr. Blair, and I, were fummoned before the Bi-
ſhop to be depofed, we went the night before our com.
pearance and took our leave of him, but next day, as
we were going into the church of Patphilips he came up
to us, whereat being furpriſed, we aſked him why he
came thither; to which he anſwered, All this night I
have been troubled when I thought of that place, At my
first answer no man ftoad with me, Therefore I am come
to ftand by you.
3. Mr. GEORGE DUMBAR minifter at Ayr, was
twice thruſt out by the Biſhops. When the meffenger
came to his houſe the ſecond time, a young daughter of his
turning, faid, And Is Pharaoh's Heart hardened ftill? All
that Mr. George faid, was to his wife to provide the crecls
again, for the former time the children being young, they
behoved to carry them away in crcels upon horfe-back.
Thereafter he was fettled at Inver, near Lochlairn in
Ireland, where one day in his fermon regieting with great
grief, that he thought none of that people had gotten
good by his miniſtry, one Robert Brown rofe and faid,
before them all that he had got good, and indeed after
that there appeared a bleffed change wrought, both on him
and feveral others. He was depofed by the Bishop of
Doun, anno 1637. and came over to Scotland, and after
the change in the year, 1638. he was admitted miniſter
of Calder, where he died.
4. Ms.
( 77 )
4. Mr. JOSIAH WELSH fon to the famous Mr. Juhra
Welſh, was provided of the Lord, to bring the covenant
of grace to the people at the Six-mile-water, on whom
Mr. James Glendinning formerly minifter there, had
wrought fome legal convictions. After preaching fome
time at Oldftane, he was fettled miniſter at Templepatrick,
where he had many feals of his miniftry. He was much
exerciſed in his own fpirit, and therefore much of his
preaching was an exerciſe of conſcience. After he was
depofed by the Biſhop of Down, he continued for a time
preaching in his own houfe, and his auditory being large,
he ſtood in a door looking toward a garden, that he might
be heard without as well as within: By which means, he
being of a weak conftitution, with faulty lungs, contracted
cold, which occafioned death, about the year 1634. I was
with him on his death-bed, and found that he wanted not
continued exercife of mind; One time he cried out, Ah
for hypocrify! On which Mr. Blair faid, See how Satan
is nibbling at his heels, before he enter into glory. A very
little before he died, I being at prayer before his bed-fide,
and the word Victory coming out in fome expreffion of
mine, he took hold of my hand, and defiring me to forbear
a little, he clapped both his hands together, and cried out,
Victory! Victory! Victory for evermore! and then deſired
Within a little after he expired.
me to go on.
5. Mr. ANDREW STUART miniſter at Dunagor, was
a man very ſtreight in the cauſe of God. He continued not
long in his miniftry, but contracted fiekneſs, of which he
died, fome years before the great maffacre in Ireland,
which was prececded with a ſcattering of the faithful; firſt
all the miniſters were thruſt out for non-conformity: After-
wards many profeffors were vexed and forced to flee, to
avoid the abjuration of the Scots covenant; and at laſt the
fword of the bloody rebels came in among them. When
Mr. Stuart was on death-bed, being aſked, What he had to
fay concerning Ireland? He anſwered, That he had nothing
to
( 78 )
to fay but that in Jeremiahxv.2. Such as are for death,
to death; and fuch as are for the fword, to the fword; and
fuch as are for the famine, to the famine; and fuch as are
for the captivity, to the captivity.
6. Mr. JOHN RIDGE an Engliſh-man, was miniſter
at Antrim. He uſed not to have many points in his fermon,
but he fo enlarged thofe he had, that it was ſcarcely poffible
for any hearer to forget his preaching. He was a great
urger of charitable works, and a very humble man.
At laft being depofed by the Biſhop of Down, for non-
conformity, as the reſt were, he came over to Irvine,
where he died.
9. Mr. HENRY COLVERT miniſter at Oldſton, was
one who very pertinently cited much Scripture in his fer-
mons, and frequently urged private fafting and prayer.
When depofed by the Biſhop, he came over to Scotland,
where after the year 1638. he was admitted miniſter at
Paisley, where he died.
8. Mr. EDWARD BRYCE minifter at Broadiſland,
who had formerly been a miniſter at Dumbarton. He
was an aged man ere I knew him, and came not much abroad.
In all in his preaching he infifted moſt on the life of Chriſt
in the heart, and the light of his word and Spirit on the
mind, that being his own continual exercife.
9. Mr. JAMES HAMILTON nephew to the viſcount
of Clanniboy, was ordained miniſter at Balwater. He was
a learned and diligent man; his gift of preaching was rather
doctrinal than exhortatory. When he was depofed, he
difputed long with the Biſhop and others with him, in the
church of Belfast, against the errors of the fervice-book,
&c. to the fatisfaction of many. After the year 1638. he
was ordained miniſter of Dumfries. About the year 1645,
or 1646. he and Mr. John Vier minister at Dalferf, having
been fent on a million to Ireland, by the general affembly,
were in their return taken by fome of Alafter MacDonald's
men,
( 79 )
19
men, and impriſoned in Meagrie-castle, where Mr. Wier
died, with great peace and joy.
After a tedious
confinement there, Mr. Hamilton was liberated, and af-
terward tranſported to Edinburgh; but after the year 1660.
he was by the Secret-council put from his charge, and in a
few years after he died.
10. Mr. JOHN MCLELLAN minifter at Kircudbright,
was firft fchoolmaſter at Newtoun in Ireland, where he
bred feveral hopeful youths for the college. Being firft
tried and approven by the honeſt minifters in the county
of Down, he often preached in their churches, till he was
depofed and excommunicated by the Biſhops. After this
he travelled through the counties of Down, Tyron and
Dunagall, preaching the goſpel in private meetings, till
being purſued by the Bifhops officials, he came over in
difguife to Scotland; where in the year 1638. he was
admitted miniſter of Kircudbright; and continued there
till about the year 1650. when he died,not without fufpicion
of being wronged by a witch. He was a moſt ſtreight and
zealous man, he knew not what it was to be afraid in the
cauſe of God: One nearly acquainted with God and his
ways. And it is thought by many, that he had fomewhat
of the Spirit of prophecy. A little before his death, he
made the following epitaph upon himſelf.
}
Come ftingless death, have o'er, lo here's my pafs
In blood character'd, by his hand, who was,
And is, and fhall be. Jordan, cut thy ftream,
Make channels dry, Ibear my Father's name,
Stamp'd on my brow. I'm raviſh'd with my crown';
I ſhine fo bright; down with all glory, down;
That world can give. I fee the pearl's port,
The golden ftreet, The bleffed fouls refort.
The tree of life, Floods gushing from the thrones.
Calls me to joys, Begone fhort woes, begone,
I liv'd to die, but now I die to live.
I do enjoy more than I did believe.
The promiſe me into poffeffion fends
Faith in fruition, Hope in having ends.
CHAP.
(80)
CHA P. IV.
Of fome faithful minifters of my acquaintance, in the
church of Scotland; who were ordained to the miniſtry
at, or after the bleffed work of reformation, in the year
1638. and died before the dreadful change that came in
the year 1660.
1
MR.
R. GEORGE GILLESPIE miniſter first at Weems;
thereafter at Edinburgh, and fon of Mr. Johri
Gillespie miniſter at Kirkáldy, did preach feveral years
before the year 1638. but could not get entry becauſe of the
Biſhops. While a probationer he was chaplain in the family
of the earl of Caſſils, and wrote that elaborate piece,
intitled, The Engliſh Popish Ceremonies. He was the firſt
who was admitted to the miniſtry by a presbytery in that
period, without acknowledging the Bishops. When the
Westminster affembly conveened, Mr. Gillespie was ſent
thither as a commiffioner from the church of Scotland,
where he was a great promoter of the work of reformation,
and diſplayed great learning, and a deep judgment; and
debated with perfpicuity, ſtrength of argument, and calm..
neſs of ſpirit above any man in his time. One time when both
the parliament and affembly were met together, and a long
ſtudied difcourfe made in favours of Erraftianifm, to which
no man was like to make an anſwer, Mr. Gillespie being
urged thereto by his brethren the commiffioners from
Scotland, repeated the ſubſtance of the whole diſcourſe,
and refuted it to the admiration of all: And which made
the furprize the greater was, that though in the affembly it
was ufual for the members to take down notes of what
was fpoken, for the help of their memory or judgment,
and that Mr. Gillespie feemed to be that way employed,
during the ſpeech to which he anſwered as above; yet
thoſe who fat next him declared, That having looked into
his note-book, they found nothing of that, fpeech written,
but here and there, Lord, fend light: Lord, give affiftances
Lord, defend thy own confe. He was moderator of the
general
( 81 )
general affembly which met at Edinburgh, in the year 1648,
and condemned the engagement againſt England; and
fhortly after he fickned and died. He wrote Aaron's
Rod bloffoming&c.
2. Mr. JAMES DURHAM miniſter at Glaſgow, a
profound, pious, prudent and humble divine, was laird of
Pury-durham in Angus, and was married, and had children
before he applied himſelf to divinity, but being preffed in
fpirit, and urged by feveral godly and judicious minifters
and profeffors, he entred to the ſtudy of divinity at Glasgow,
and in a fhort time he profited fo much, that he night
have been profeffor of divinity in any univerfity. So foon
as he had paffed his degrees, he was ordained miniſter at
Glasgow. When king Charles II. came to Scotland, Mr.
Durham, as moſt fit for his gravity, wiſdom, learning and
piety, was unanimouſly choſen by the general affembly, to
be miniſter to the king's family; where he continued
for fome time, with great approbation, and as much fuccefs
as could have been expected in ſuch a time and place: And
offered to have accompanied the king, when he went to
Worcester; but his offer hot having met with acceptance,
he returned to Glasgow, and continued his miniftry there
till Harvelt 1658. when he died, in the 37th or 38th year
of his age.
His book of Scandal, his commentary on
the Revelation, and on the Song, with many other pieces
not yet printed, fhew what rare gifts the Lord beſtowed
upon him.
3. Mr. ROBERT MELVIL miniſter at Sympren, fon
to Sir James Melvil of Hallbill, was a preacher for many
years before the year 1638. but could not, on account of
his averfion to epifcopacy and ceremonies get ordination,
till the downfall of the Bifhops. Being affiftant to Mr.
Robert Colvil minifter at Gulrofs, and Mr. Adam Ballantyne
Biſhop of Dumblane having come to hear him, he took
occafion in the end of his fermon, to put the Biſhop in mind
of his former zeal againſt epiſcopacy, and what courfe he
was now in, and admonished him to repentance. The.
Biſhop
( 82 )
Biſhop was highly offended with Mr. Melvil, but would
not fuffer him to be cenfured. In the year 1648. while
he was preaching on a Lord's day, a foldier apprehending
he faid fomewhat againſt the engagement, did ſtrike at hina
with a fword, but it pleaſed the Lord that the foldier
miffed his aim,
1
4. Mr. JAMES FORBES miniſter at Abercorn, ſon of
Mr. John Forbes, who for keeping the affembly at Aberdeen,
was condemned at Linlithgow; and was afterward miniſter
to the English church at Delf, was an able and zealous
preacher: And delivered himſelf with fuch vehemency,
that after every fermon he behoved to change his ſhirt for
fweating. He gave the communion four times every year.
5. Mr. JOHN DURIE miniſter at Dalmeny, was a man
of a moſt rare invention and gift of preaching.
Under this chapter the author claffes Mr. Andrew Gray
minifter at Glasgow, Mr. Hugh Binning minifter at Govan,
Mr. David Veitch and Mr. Alexander Jamison minifters
there, and Mr. Ephraim Melvil miniſter first at Queensferry,
afterward at Linlithgow.
CHA P. V.
Offome eminent minifters of my acquaintance,in the church
of Scotland, who entred to the miniſtry at, or after the
year 1638. and furvived the year 1660.
I.
MR.
´R. JAMES GUTHRIE, while a regent at St.
Andrews, was much for epifcopacy and cere-
monies; but after the Lord had diſcovered to him the evil
of that way, no man was more zealous againſt them.
After the year 1638. he was admitted miniſter at Lauder,
and afterward was tranſported to Stirling. He was a man
of a very publick fpirit; a great enemy to all error and
prophanity, alike zealous againft malignants and ſeclaries,
and a great oppoſer of the publick refolutions in the years
1650, 1651. About that time, he having been called to
account by the Secret-council for fomething delivered in his
02
iermon,
(83)
fermon, he declined them as incompetent judges of his
doctrine in the firſt inſtance, as fome minifters had done in
king James's time. During the ten years that the English
ruled in the land, Mr. Guthrie continued in his miniſtry at
Stirling, and kept at a greater diſtance from the English
and their ways, than many others; but in August 1660.
while he and ten others, were drawing up a fupplication to
the king, they were impriſoned, In the year 1661. the
parliament condemned him to death; and in June that
year, he endured the unjuſt and violent ſentence with great
refolution and courage, and died a martyr for the covenants
and work of reformation. See Meffrs. Wodrow's and
Crookbank's Hiftories on the year 1661.
2. Mr. JAMES SIMPSON miniſter at Airth, a very
able and judicious preacher was in the year 1660. impriſ
oned, in the year 1661. after an indictment for death,
he was baniſhed in the year 1662. he came to Holland,
and ſtayed fometime at Leyden, and after that went to
Utrecht where he died.
3. Mr. WILLIAM GUTHRIE miniſter at Finwick,
was a man of a most ready wit, and fruitful invention,
and moſt appofite compariſons, qualified both to awaken and
pacify confcience, ftreight and zealous for the caufe of
Chrift, and a great light in the Weft of Scotland; where,
by the favour of ſome great ones, he was continued longer
almoſt than any other. He was of a chearful diſpoſition,
but much troubled with the gout, of which he died. See
Mr. Wodrow's Hiftory, and his preface to Mr. Guthrie's
famous Trial of a faving Intereft in Chrift.
2
4. Mr. ALEXANDER DUNLOP minifter at Paiſley
was a man well qualified to have been a profeffor of divinity,
and had most of the English controverfies folidly caft up in
write.
Mr.
(84)
5. Mr.JAMES WOOD miniſter and profeffor of Theo-
logy at St. Andrews, was a man of a ſharp and diſtinct
expreffion; he marvelously refuted Independency and
afferted presbyterial government, in oppofition to Nicolas
Lockier's Littleſtone herwed out of the mount. After the
year 1660. he was ejected from his charge by the Privy-
council; and at his death, which happened not long after
that, he gave a fair teſtimony againſt epiſcopacy, and the
defections of the time.
6, Mг. ANDREW MOWAT minifter at Kilmarnock,
was a man of a moſt ſweet and meek difpofition, and ſtreight
and zealous for the truth. After the year 1660. he was
put from his charge, and afterwards was tryſted with fevere
bodily infirmity, whereof he died.
And to theſe Mr. Livingstone adds Mr. Adam Ker
miniſter at Barg, Mr. John Duncan miniſter at Dundren-
nan, Mr. William Jack miniſter at Carluk, and Mr.
William Brown miniſter firſt at Linlithgow and thereafter
at Carnwath.
CH A P.
VI.
of fome eminent minifters in the church of Scotland of
whom I have only heard.
I.
HUGH KENNEDY Provoſt of Ayr. Of him
John Stuart Provoſt of Ayr told me, that one night a-
bout 3 o'clock in the morning, Hugh Kennedy awaked
him to go to pray together, for faid he, my Son John and
thofe who are with him at fea, are at this inftant in great
peril of their lives. He went as deſired, and after they had
been fome hours at prayer, Provoſt Kennedy told him that
now they were all ſafe, Provoſt Stuart wrote down the day
of the month, and found when the fhip came home, that
at the time, provoſt Kennedy was concerned as above, the
ſhip did ftrike upon a rock, and with great difficulty was
got off. Provoft Stuart told me alfo, that one day 2
man in the town having thrown into the fea a cheft belongs
ing to one of provolt Kennedy's fons, the Provoft faid to
the
1
( 85 )
the man in a paffion, Were it not for the awe of God,
and for the office I bear, I judge that you deſerve I ſhould
tread you under my Feet; but about two or three o'clock
in the morning, of that fame night Provoſt Kennedy, came
to this Provoft Stuart's houſe, and told him he could nei-
ther eat nor ſleep, becauſe he had ſpoken injurious words
to that man, and therefore he had confeffed his fin unto
God, and behoved to acknowledge it to the man. Upon
this they both went to the man's houſe, who hearing pro-
voſt Kennedy's tongue, drew his ſword, fearing an aſſault
upon himself; but the provoft, far from any fuch defign,
fell down upon his knees before the man's bed, and ſaid,
Brother Iwronged you and the office I bear in threatning
you,and would not rife till the man did folemnly forgive him.
2. PATRICK M'LEWRATH, a husbandman in the
Pariſh of Dailing in Carrick, was a great wreſtler in prayer
and one who had power with God. John Whitefoard of
Balloch, told me that Patrick when a young man, was o-
verfeer to his father's fhearers; That one time when he
was fleeping in his bed, recollecting a refolution which
he had put on to wreſtle in prayer, that night he fell
down upon his knees and continued at prayer in his fhirt,
till he faw the light of day clearly about him, without
feeling the leaft cold or wearinefs; That for a confider-
able time after this Patrick ſlept none, and when ſome
enquired what he did in the night, he anſwered that he
was never fo bufy all his time as then, wondering at the
Lord's condefcenfion, and praiſing him for the new world
he was brought into. That one time Patrick having
loft a Son by death, he ſhut himſelf up in a room where he
ſtayed long, and having looked very chearfully at his out-
coming, he ſaid to fome who aſked his reafon for being ſo,
that he would be content to lofe a fon every day, on con-
dition he got fuch acceſs to God, as he had then found;
That though at this time Patrick underſtood not, thạt
there was any fuch exerciſe as chriſtians to pray and praiſe
together, yet he ufed to meet with other two who had.
fuch a work on their fpirits, as he had, and mutually
im-
( 86 )
mparted their experiences, they fitting together in a kind
of triangle, put their arms about each other, and fhaking
thers foftly, to and again,uttered their voices in a kind of
Croaning finging way, and that though neither of them ut-
tered any articulate words, the tears run down each of their
faces And another time Patrick coming from a mar-
riage feaft, he (John Whitefoard) met him, and enquiring
f certain perfons whom he named were there, Patrick an-
wered him that he could not tell who was there, and
Balloch being furpriſed at his inadvertency, he ſaid his mind
was fo taken up with other thoughts that in truth he could
not tell who was there.
3. THOMAS FLEEMING who lived in King James's
ourt in England, was an eminent chriftian. I have very
hany gracious letters of to my Father, which ſhew what
man he was.
4. BARTHOLOMEW FLEEMING merchant in Edin-
burgh, was a moft religious, man and a great enter-
ainer and encourager of honeft miniſters and profeffors in
his time. Being fore troubled with the gravel, he went
to London, and was cut of the ſtone, where he died, and
was buried befide Mr. John Walker's grave.
5. The Right honourable LILLIAS GRAHAME
countefs of Wigtoun, was a moft devout and pious Lady.
When I was a child I have oft feen her at my father's at
preachings and communions; Her woman who waited upon
her told, that while ſhe dreſſed her head, the (the Coun--
tefs) read upon her Bible, and prayed among hands, and
every day at that time faid the women, the fhed more
tears than ever I did all my lifetime.
5. NICOLAS MURRAY was a gracious woman; I have
everal of her letters to my Father, and the Lady Ardofs,
full of rich experiences and tender affection.
6. EFFIE alias EUPHAN M'CULLEN, a woman in
the parish of Jinnocher, was poor in Pelf but rich in Faith,
and
( 87 )
and one who was favoured with many pofitive anfwers of
prayer -She told the Lady Gulrofs, that when Mr. John
Carmichael miniſter of the Pariſh was in appearance dying '
fhe prayed and got an anſwer that for a year's time he ſhould
be fpared; and when after the year's end he fell fick again,
I went again (faid fhe) to pray for his life, but the Lord
ſhewed his diſpleaſure, and as it was faid, Beaſt that thou
art, ſhould I keep my fervant in pain for thy fake? and
when I faid, Lord, what ſhall I then do? he anſwered me
that the miniſter was but the reed he ſpoke through, and
he would provide another-Thereafter when we got Mr.
Henry Rolloch for our miniſter, I went (faid She) with a
complaint to the Lord, that I could not profit by him as
I had done before, and the anſwer I got was, that I be-
hoved to take the letter out of the Lad's hand, for the
word was not his but the Lord's-Many inftances the
Lady Gulrofs told me of this woman, but I have forgot the
moſt of them Mr. Blair told me, that while he was a re
gent at Glasgow, he went in a vacance to vifit Mr. Bruc
then at Inverneſs, and turning aſide to fee Effie, fhe en.
quired if he was a preacher, and being told he was fhe
faid, Ye look oe'r fine like with your buky ruff; If you re-
folve to be a miniſter ye muſt carry the tarrpig at your
belt, and be ready to give every one of Chrift's fheep a
fmot as they come in your way. At parting he would
needs give her a doller, and heard thereafter that ſhe bought
bread with it all, and gave to the poor as they paffed, fo
long as it laſted.
CHA P. VII.
Of Some profeffors of my acquaintance in the church of
Scotland eminent for grace and gifts.
1. Mr. WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM of Dolphing.
ton, tutor of Bonington. He did ordinarily fpend the moft
part of every forenoon in prayer and meditation on the
fcripture. When fome enquired at him how he could
ftay fo long at prayer, he anſwered, that he could not come
away
1
(88)
1
away till he got acceſs to God in prayer, and that when he
got acceſs, it was fo fweet that he could not leave it. He
told me he was prefent with a rebel called John of the
Score when he was executed at Edinburgh; a man fo ig-
norant when taken prifoner, that he fcarcely heard of
Jefus Chrift, and yet proved at his end a remarkable ex-
ample of repentance. And that he was alfo prefent
with William Carmichael of Reidenyre when executed at
Douglafs, a man who had an eſtate of his own, and yet
out of very wickednefs fell to rob and fpoyl his neigh-
bours. That he was folicited by this man to interceed for
'favour to him from the earl of Angus his fuperior and
judge: That meeting with a difappointment, and telling
the poor criminal he behoved to die, he faid, Ah it
is the faddeft news that ever came to man in the
trength of flesh and blood, and having much to do in
a fhort time, he wreſtled all that night like one dif-
tracted; but about 4 o'clock in the morning he called
to the tutor, and told him he had got affurance of
falvation, and defired that my Father, though at a con-
fiderable diſtance, might be fent for to him. When
brought to his execution, he ſpoke much and well to
the melting of fpectators, and being on the ladder,
he defired that the executioner might not throw him
over till with his elbow he ſhould give him a fign, and
then turning unto God, he faid, I hope thou wilt not
let me periſh with this fweet name of thy fweet Son
Jefus in my mouth, and fo long as he had breath he
continued crying, Jefus Chriſt, have mercy on me, Jefus
Chriſt, receive my foul, &c.
2. WILLIAM RIDGE of Atherny, was a man much
exerciſed in ſpirit, and of great experience in the ways
of God. When he was baillic of Edinburgh he was a
terror to all evil doers, and gave great evidence that he
had the fpirit of government above many-He was for
fometime a prifoner in Blackness, becauſe he could not
communicate kneeling. He had a good eſtate and
P
frent
( 89 )
fpent his yearly income moftly on pious uſes, and yet
he would hardly give any thing to vagrant fturdy beggars.
I have been ſeveral times with him in private meet-
ings, and obferved that when he prayed, he began
with bitter and heavy complaints and confeffion beyond
any. I have heard, that ſeveral times before he end-
ed he expreffed unfpeakable affurance, joy and thanks-
giving- When about the year 1640.or 1641. fomething
appeared in general affemblys as tending to reſtrain pri-
vate meetings of chriftians for mutual edification and
prayers, I heard him fay that he thought the Church of
Scotland juſt like Adam in Paradife, that could not
continue in integrity a moment.
3. ALEXANDER GORDON of Earlefton was a man
of a great fpirit, but much fubdued by inward exerciſe
and one who attained the moſt fignal experiences both
of downcafting and uplifting that I have known. He
refufed knighthood when offered to him. For wifdom,
courage and integrity, he might have been a magiftrate in
any place of the earth.
4. ALEXANDER GORDON of Knockgrey was a rare
chriſtian in his time. His chief the Laird of Loachengbar
difpoffeffed him on account of his religion, yet he was.
afterward reſtored by that man's fon John Viscount of
Kenmure, and was fo profpered, that for one article he
told me the Lord had bleffed him with ten thoufand
theep.
5. ROBERT GORDON of Knockbreck was a ſingle-
hearted and diligent christian, and was much imployed
at the parliament and other publick meetings after the
year 1638. He had alſo two brothers both very graci-
ous perfons, viz. John Gordon of—and Alexander
Gordon of Carleugh, in whofe houſe I was once at a
private meeting with a number of eminent chriftians..
They all three fuffered for religion. The two youn-
ger
1
( 90 )
ger brothers were executed on one gibbet, and embracing
each other in their arms, did fo expire.
6.- Cathcart of Carleton was an old experi-
enced chriftian, I heard Mr. Cunningham of Holywood
fay, that he having been once at a communion at
Dailing, and he and fome others at conference with
Carleton, he thought that all the doubts and queſtions
they propounded to him, were but like the queftions
of raw undiſciplined foldiers proponed to an old com-
mander in War. I have been fometimes in his houſe
all night, and found it was his ordinary to ſpend the
mornings alone till the family conveened, and cuſhions
were caft down, and then being called out of his clo-
fet he went to worſhip, and prayed both earneſtly and
confidently; after which he returned to his chamber,
without ever taking notice who was in the hall till
meat was ſet upon the table, and then he came out
and welcomed and entertained his gueſts very kindly.
7
FULLERTON of Carleton in Galloway
was a grave, and yet a cheerful chriftian.
8. JOHN MEIN merchant in Edinburgh was a fo-
lid and ftedfaft profeffor of the truth of God; He
uſed both fummer and winter to rife about three o'-
clock in the morning, and always as he put on his cloaths,
he uſed to fing fome part of a pfalm, and then went
to his clofet, where he was imployed in religious exer-
cifes till fix: By that time the rest of his family being
got up, he worshipped God with them, and then went
to his fhop. When the practice of Perth articles came
to be urged, he with William Ridge and John Hamil-
ton furgeon apothecary, were in prifoned for noncon-
formity, and John Mein fent to Elgin of Murray.
Becauſe of his early rifing he used to fleep after din
ner, and yet all the time he was in the north he
was free of that fleepinefs. He was fo much master
P 2
of
( 91 )
―
of the fcripture that though he had been half fleeping
he could have corrected readers if they mifcalled or
wrong cited any fcripture. The plague having broken
out at Edinburgh while he was in the north, he was
permitted to come home for a few weeks, and King
James dying in the mean time, he did not return to
his confinement, yet his trouble was not at an end;
The minister who urged conformity would at least have
him promife to live peaceably with them, and not
any ways oppofe their urging conformity upon others:
But as the cafe was circumstantiated he could not even'
agree to this-One day an honest minister Mr. Fumes
Ingles at Dailing being with him on the street of Edin.
burgh, and preffing him to yield to the ministers re-
quefl for peace fake, my Father pafling them occafion-
ly, Mr. Ingles called to my father, faying, what
thall we do with this man that refufes to live peace-
ably with his minifters, feeing he is bound to live
peaceably with all men? My Father having heard of Mr,
Mein's difficulty beforehand, anfwered nothing directly, but
reported a piece of hiftory: That at the maffacre of Paris
a number of ruffians carrying a religious lady to the
Syan to be drowned, and fome more humane than the
1eft coming by and interceeding for her life, on condition fhe
would but fay over thefe two words Ave Maria, fhe an-
ſwered, I know thefe two words are part of the Word of
God, but if ye would order me to fay Pater Nofter as a
token of denying my religion, and joining with you, I
would not ſay it; Whereupon fhe was caft into the river,
and died a martyr for Chriſt's truth. One day I was with
him in a room in the houſe of Moor near Edinburgh, when
he confeffed that once he had ſpent a whole night at pray-
er there, and had feen a light greater than ever was the
light of the fun,
9. John Stuart provoft cf Air, was a godly zealous
Chriflian of a long Standing. He was one of thofe who im-
barked in the American voyage but were put back.
He had a great impediment and ftuating in his frecch,
fa
D
(92)
fo that in ordinary converfation one could hardly know
what he faid, and yet I have oft heard him pray as diftinc-
tly as any man could ſpeak,
10. ELISABETH MELVIL lady Culross, daugh-
ter of the laird of Hallhill, who profeffed he had got
affurance from the Lord, that himſelf, his wife and all
his children fhould meet in heaven, was famous for her
piety, and for her dream concerning her fpiritual con-
dition, which the put in verfe, and was afterwards pub-
liſhed. Of all the christians I was ever acquainted with
fhe was most unwearied in rcligious exercife, and the
greater her accefs to God in duty, the more was her
hungring after more; when at the communion of the
Shots anno 1630. the fabbath night was ſpent by a great
many chriſtians at prayer in her room, and they had
retired to their private devotion in the morning, fhe alſo
retired to a corner of the room for that purpoſe, and was
known to continue at prayer with wonderful affiſtance
from the holy Spirit and motion on her fpirit, for above
three hours (pace.
II.
2
FLEEMING Lady Robertland was
Chriftian deeply exerciſed in her mind, and did often
get very fignal outgates from her trouble; She was a
great help to the poor people of Stuarton when they
were awakened, and had a ftrange way of continuing
a fpiritual difcourfe under the fimilitude of worldly
things,- -And yet after fhe had for many years at-
tained to as great affurance and ſtability as any in her
'time, I found her at Edinburgh about winter 1649. in as
grcat doubts and darknefs as ever before; but many bat-
*lcs brought many victories.
12. The right honourable CHRISTIAN HAMIL.
TON Lady Boyd was an eminent Pattern of Chriflianity,
grave, diligent and prudent. She uſed every night to
write down what fhe had obferv cd of the Lord's dealing, and
what had been the cafe of her foul thro' the day.
13. The
( )
93)
93 13The right honourable ANNA LIVINGSTON
Counters of Eglinton, although bred at court, proved à
fubdued and eminent Christian, and a great encourager
of Truth and Piety.
14. The right honourable-Erskin Lady Binning,
fent for me anno 1637. fometime before the fervice-book
was to be read in Edinburgh, and told me that ſome
friends adviſed that ſhe ſhould change her feat in the great
kirk fome days before the fame fhould be read, and want-.
ed my opinion, whether the fhould not rather continue her
feat till the fervice were begun, and then give her teſti-
mony againſt it by leaving the church. At that time much
of her neck and ſhoulders being uncovered, ſhe ſaid, it įs
a wonder that you or any honeft man fhould look upon me
or ſtay in my company, for I am dreffed rather like a lewd
than a modeſt Woman, but the truth is I must either be
fo dreffed, or my Lord will not fuffer me to live in peace,
and while fhe did ſpeak this, the tears did not only drop büt
run down her face, fo that the was forced för concealing
her forrow to turn her back towards me.
精
​→
Under this title of perfons, eminent for grace and gifts,
Mr.Living tone adds William Roger merchant in Ayr, Adam
Latie, and John Hamilton apothecaries in Edinburgh,
Charles Mouat manager of the earl of Buchan's affairs,
who kept many a bleffed private meeting in Nicolas
Balfour's heufe in Edinburgh, John Fleeming and Robert
Lochart merchants in Edinburgh, James Lawson taylor
there, and James Murray writer there, an Ifraelite indeed,
in whom was no guile, Margaret Livington Countefe of,
Wigton, Anna Cunningham marchionefs of Hamilton,
Margaret Cunningham Lady Galderwood, Lady Raith,
Lady Halhill, Lady Innerteil, Eady Fordell Henderfon,
and Marion M knight wife to provolt «Glendonning
of Kirkcubright.
*F MINI S.