Jesus Christ, according to that word, John xxiv. 6. Jesus saith unto them, I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.' And likewise, I leave my testimony to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; and my soul desires to bless the Lord, that ever they were in our mother tongue. My soul hath been refreshed in conversing with them, when the Spirit of the Lord has backed them; but I knew likewise, they are but a killing letter without the Spirit: yet this I would advise you, as a dying martyr for Christ, to search the Scriptures, and seek the Lord's mind in them; for there are none noble, but those who search the Scriptures; and O that I could recommend them to you, as they have been sweet and refreshful to me; yea, they are as a garden of sweet-smelling flowers; in them are cures for all diseases, and remedies for all distempers; yea, they commend themselves, they need none of my commendation. Make good use of them, while ye have them; for if idolaters get their will, they will not be long amongst you; I pray the Lord may prevent it.

"2dly, I leave my testimony to the Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins, and Engagement to Duties. I bear my testimony to the National Covenant, and Solemn League and Covenant. Likewise, I adhere to all the faithful testimonies that have been given for the truth, since the year 1638; especially that Sanquhar Declaration, and Rutherglen Testimony, and the papers found on Henry Hall at the Queensferry, called the New Covenant; and to the lawfulness of Torwood excommunication, and all the testimonies, of the martyrs, who are gone before me, according to truth, both in fields, on scaffolds, and in the seas; and likewise I leave my testimony to that poor persecuted remnant that are yet left as berries on the tops of the utmost branches,―wandering about,-being desolate, afflicted and tormented, -groaning under the sad yoke of tyranny. O Lord, deliver them in thy own way and time; and encourage them now when there is no encouragement from men, and their eyes cannot behold their teachers. And now, my friends, I tell you, being within few hours to step out of time into eternity, that ye beware of casting aspersions on any of the Lord's people, for owning their duty, which is avowing and declaring Jesus Christ to be King in Zion, head of his people, and only Lord of your consciences; and declining all powers which are contrary to and inconsistent with our Lord's kingly power. And now I declare, I own magistracy, as it is an ordinance of God; and offered my willing subjection unto them; but when the magistrate becomes a tyrant by overturning the whole law of God, and the just laws of the nation, he or they being once covenanted to the contrary, then, I think it my duty, as I am bound by the Scripture, and our Covenants, and my own conscience,-to show, in my station,—my dislike of the wrongs my lovely Lord and Master is getting; for, as the Scripture declares, 'there are no powers but of God, and the powers that be, are ordained of God.' Then consequently, that power cannot be of God, that murders the people of God; otherwise ye must say, that the Lord is the author of evil, which were horrid blasphemy.

Now therefore, my dear friends, suppose that they will take away our lives, under the name of treason and rebellion, (as they have done to our brethren these twenty years) yet it is not so, but for religion and loyalty to our Lord and Master, and to every ordinance of man, as it is consistent with the law of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, as ye would be answerable at the day of our appearance, when we shall stand naked and bare before the Judge of all the earth, speak not against us, lest ye be reckoned amongst the fighters against Jesus Christ; for I declare, I have owned nothing, but that which is the duty of the whole nation, as well as mine. And I doubt not but the Lord will reckon with this generation, ere it be long, for maintaining that throne of iniquity these twenty years.

"And now, I declare, as a dying man, that it is but justice that is come upon this poor nation; for when the Lord set them free from that yoke of bondage they were lying under, by that old tyrant Charles I.-who designed to cut off the Lord's people, (which he put in practice, in murdering the Lord's people in Ireland, by the hands of the bloody papists, and thought to have done so to England and Scotland, but the Lord prevented him, and put a stop to his tyranny, by suffering men to take away his life, and causing his family to be banished)—and brake the yoke off our neck, and became our Lord, King and head; we soon wearied of the Lord, and cast him off, and said, 'we will have a king to rule over us, like the nations;' and ye may judge, whether he has reigned Saul-like or not? And I doubt not but he shall be taken away in wrath, because he was given in the Lord's anger; and tho' his time has been a groaning time, yet his end shall be terrible, and the people shall find the smart of it, as the children of Israel did, when they fell at Gilboa. Friends, look for sad days, when we are gone! O therefore, I entreat you, as ye would tender the glory of God, and desire the salvation of your own souls, mourn for the wrongs ye have done to the glory of God, in your owning of that tyrant, who is the malignant's head and god. And now, I am sure, ye are left without excuse, if ye will not cast him off; and they who will say, he hath power over civil matters, must say, God is unjust, and he is the author of evil, which were horrid blasphemy.

"The matter of my condemnation is, because I will not yield to their iniquitous laws, and call tyranny-authority, and a constitution of wickedness,—a constitution of God; which I dare not, for my soul, have the least thought of. And now, my friends, I am to die for protesting against popery, and the inbringing of that papist the Duke, to defile the Lord's land; and declining their power, because they had murdered my brethren these twenty years, and testifying against all the wrongs my lovely Lord and Master hath got. Therefore, I charge you, to beware of speaking against me, or any of my brethren; for my head and my right hand shall be a witness against you, who shall condemn us; whatever I have been, I am now highly honoured to witness for Christ's cause. And now, my dear friends, I must tell you, that grace is free, and I am a debtor to free grace, and I am as a brand plucked out of the fire; yet my Lord hath loved

H

me with an everlasting love. And I bless the Lord, I am in my right mind, and have hatred against no man's person, but in so far as they are fighting against my God, and plotting against his holy child Jesus; but as it is written, Psal. ii. 9. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potsherd.' I leave my testimony against Charles Stuart, for his breach of covenant, and for his setting forth that hellish act of supremacy, whereby, he rescinded the law of God, and the just law of the land, that he might murder the Lord's people. I likewise leave my blood upon him, and these bloody counsellors, justiciary and assizers-because they take away my life, and the lives of my brethren, without a shadow of law or justice; for there were none of us guilty of action or crimes, and the protestation we gave them, shall be a standing witness against them. Secondly, I leave my testimony against prelacy, because they have taken upon them the place of Lords, which is proper to none but Jesus Christ; for we have but one God, one Lord, one Saviour and Master, &c. and they have our blood their heads. upon I leave my testimony against all the proceedings against the Lord's people, for their murders in the fields, and in the sea, and on scaffolds. I leave my testimony against the bringing home of that tyrant, Charles Stuart, after they knew that he had broken all bonds that could bind men, and was no more to be believed; I likewise leave my testimony against the Duke of York, and against the reception of him, first and last, because they knew he was a professed papist, and was seeking nothing but the lives of the Lord's people, as his actions declare; first, he behoved to have a draught of these five men's blood at Magus Muir, and next, of Mr. James Skene, John Potter, Archibald Stewart, and the rest of our brethren since; O bloody wretch! he is filling himself drunk with the blood of the saints; and when he was declared Viceroy and High Commissioner, as they call him, he behoved to have a draught of blood to sit down with, viz. of that faithful minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Donald Cargill, and the other four; and then they sat down to their parliament, for enacting these hell-hatched acts, placing Charles Stuart and his succession, for their god, and that they call law and authority, for their Bible. And now, when they have taken their breath, they must have our blood to slake them. I leave my testimony against the parliamenters, and my blood upon them; I am sure they will find it and my brethren's, lying heavy upon them. I likewise leave my testimony against bonders, cess and locality payers, for strengthening the hands of these wicked ruffians, the troopers and soldiers, who destroy the Lord's people. Now therefore, dear friends, I warn you, as you would fly from the wrath to come, shake yourselves of these things, if so be there may be hope; it may be if ye be serious, ye will be hid in the day of the Lord's anger; take warning, and fly from the wrath that is to come.

"Likewise, I leave my testimony against the unfaithfulness of the watchmen of Scotland, for they have not fed the flock, but fed themselves. Therefore I, as a dying man, must tell you, that it will be a wonder, if ever ye be honoured to be faithful, for your turning

your backs on your Master,-when all men are set against him; and your seeking to save your lives,-when the Lord is calling you to suffer, rather than to yield, or quit one hair of the truth. Ye think nothing to call tyranny, lawful magistracy, and by that ye say, that all the martyrs, who have suffered under tyranny these twenty years. bave suffered justly! If that word be true, there is no power but of God,'-then certainly Charles Stuart's power must not be of God, for his unheard of murders, perjuries and adulteries. Now I say, those who call him a magistrate, they say, that God is the author of sin, which is horrid blasphemy; and I think, there are few ministers in Scotland, who are free of that horrid sin, and are not in some sort guilty of their brethren's blood; for ye are an upcast to poor sufferers. Now therefore, I advise you to repent, for I shall wish you no wrong. I might say much to that purpose, but I shall forbear, only I desire the Lord may forgive you, for your lukewarmness, neutrality, indifferency and sinful silence, where there is none to speak for Jesus Christ. And now, I advise you that are his people, to take warning from me as a dying man, not to join with them, till their repentance be as visible as their sin hath been. O seek teachers from the Lord; for he will not want ministers, when he hath an errand to send them. Wait on the Lord, for he doth all things well. Now, my dear friends, who desire to live godly, look out for tribulation and affliction, and the Scourge of tongues, and the envy and malice of devils. The ministers will reproach you and condemn you, and the worldly-wise professors will advise you to run at leisure, and not condemn the godly for their failings: it is true, I grant the godly may fall and rise again; but alas! their apostasy in denying their Master, and defending it, will be found very hard and terrible, in the sight of the Lord.

"Now, I must not tarry, being surprised with shortness of time, having the king of terrors to grapple with. Only this I say, (my dear friends) make haste, get your peace made with God, and in your stations contend for him; labour to have nothing before your eyes, but the glory of God, and ye shall undoubtedly get employment of him: make it your main work to seek the Lord. And now, that I am to step out of time into eternity, I bless the Lord for the way he hath taken with me; for all that I have met with, hath been in loving-kindness; and I can say, that from my experience, he hath been kind to me in my wanderings and imprisonments; irons and stocks, have been made sweet to me; yea, evil company hath been made useful to me. Yea, these antiscripturists were made instructive to me; for I saw these four men (I mean John Gib and his followers) were once as fairly on the way, by appearance, as any I knew; but I see gifts are not graces, and now, I think, they were hopeless; and I advise none that tender the glory of God to meddle with them; for they are turned horrid blasphemers, and deniers of the Scriptures. Beware of them; for I have no time to give you a particular account of them.

"Now, my dear friends, farowell,-with whom I have been refreshed many times: the love of God be with you, and carry you

through. Farewell holy Scriptures, wherewith I have been comforted; farewell praying; farewell sweet imprisonment; farewell sweet stocks and irons for Christ's sake; farewell wanderings and sweet reproaches for my Lord's sake; farewell sun, moon and stars; farewell day and night; farewell all created comforts! Welcome death ; welcome gallows, for Christ's sake; welcome eternity; welcome angels; welcome spirits of just men made perfect; welcome praises that shall never have an end. There I shall rest through all the ages of eternity, in Immanuel's land. Welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, into thy hands I commend my spirit.

Sic sub.-PATRICK FORMAN.”*

XVIII. DAVID FAIRIE.

[This was another of the four persons, who were tried and executed, in company with Robert Garnock. He was dealt with in precisely the same way as the two preceding witnesses for the truth. His confession before the council bears," That he disclaimed the king's authority, that he calls him a tyrant,-asserts that it is lawful to kill murderers, and says the king is a murderer, because he has murdered the people of God." He suffered with the rest, at the Gallowlee, on the 10th October, 1581.-His testimony follows.]

"DEAR FRIENDS,-I desire to bless the Lord, that I am sentenced to be a martyr for Christ and his cause, by wicked men, whose actions prove what they are; yet glory be to the name of God, that this day, I do not suffer as an evil-doer, but for the testimony of the truth, in owning Jesus Christ as head in his church, yea, in the church of Scotland; and not only so, but covenanted to be so, as he was with the children of Israel, in the sight of the nations; which covenant, made betwixt Jesus Christ and this land, I bless the Lord, that, by his strength, I have been enabled to own, before all these accusers of mine, especially the bloody committee, the bloody council, and the dreadful bloody assizers of the people of God, and givers of their sentences of death,—all instituted by Charles Stuart,-who was once by his profession, and by his oath, an owner of that covenant. Now, the grounds of my sentence are to be seen in my interrogations before the committee, council, and justiciary so called: at which I was asked, If I owned my former speeches? I said, What I had said, I had said; but in case that any might think, that I had heart malice at him whom they call king; I told them, I wished neither him nor them, nor their souls, any more evil nor I wished my own; but since he had broken the covenant with God, and turned out all our ministers, obtruded prelacy on the church, and overturned the whole work of reformation, I could not own him as a king, and them as judges, seeing he and his emissaries were proceeding to bring in Popery into the land; and I

• Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 196-202.