Page images
PDF
EPUB

XIX. JAMES STEWART,

[The case of James Stewart may be esteemed remarkable, even in the period to which it belongs, for the degree of tyranny and severity which it displays. He was a young man (might almost be termed a boy, for his years,) of good and serious dispositions, and so far as appears from any thing brought against him, had never been chargeable with offending even against the laws which were then in force. He had come, from the west country, where he resided, to visit a relative who was then in prison. This person, by some means or other, effected his escape while he was in the room; upon which he was immediately carried before the council. Here some ensnaring questions were put to him, and his answers to them, compelled by the most shocking threats; and upon these answers, an indictment was raised against him. The result may easily be conceived. He was found guilty-the sentence of death passed on him-and executed with the other four, on the 10th October, 1681. His testimony follows.]

"DEAR FRIENDS-I being in prison for Christ, and his persecuted cause, though some may say otherwise, and that upon the account of my taking; but I do not care what they say-for I have had, and yet have great peace in my sufferings-but some will be ready to say, That it was an imprudent and an unsure action, and so might have been forborne-and suppose it be so, it is not the head of my suffering, for it was not that upon which I was staged, for I was presently staged for the truth, the next day after I was taken, being brought before a committee;-though indeed I was not so free as I should have been. There is a passage, Acts xxi. of Paul's going up to Jerusalem, which, some say, he might have forborne, but more especially his going up to the temple, and doing these things which are according to the law; he might, I say, have forborne this, and walked consonant to his former practice, doctrine and writings: but though his going to the temple was the occasion of his taking, yet not the head of his suffering; so, I say, though that which I did in relieving my brother, was the occasion, yet my suffering was stated on another head. But I cannot see, how it is as ye say; for I seeing it my duty, and finding opportunity, had a clear call for all that I did. And besides all that, we being bound in covenant to defend and maintain one another, we are bound as well to relieve one another out of prison, when there is a probability seen. But I need not stand much in making this out, it being the way that the Lord took to bring me to my suffering; and I am heartily content with my lot, and desire with my soul to bless him for it. Though I was dreadfully aspersed when that bond of liberation was offered to us, (for though some had clearness to take it, yet I could never have thoughts of taking it in peace; and I bless the Lord who kept my hand from it), it was neither strength nor sharpsightedness in me that withheld me from yielding to the temptation; but the Lord hath shewed himself graciously favourable and kind unto

me, now when I am set up like a beacon upon the top of an hill, and the eyes of many being upon me, and all are wondering at me, and calling me distracted, and saying, I am a fool, but (the Lord be thanked) I have all the senses that ever I had, though distressed, yet I despair not. Neither am I suffering as a fool; for I know assuredly, this is the way to obtain the promise. There is nothing in it meritorious, I confess; for all my suffering, he may put me into hell; but I say, the suffering of reproaches and the scourge of tongues, is a symptom or mark of his way, when it is for his sake, Matth. v. 11. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and speak all manner of evil against you, and persecute you for my name's sake.' It is for his name's sake that I am suffering, and this confirms me of it, Matth. x. 22. 'Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he that endureth unto the end, shall be saved.'

"Now, it is for Christ's kingly office that I am suffering; and this being the main head on which my suffering is stated, even that great truth, viz. Jesus Christ is king and head of Zion, I desire and charge you to beware of misconstructing my sufferings, and saying, that I was suffering for disowning of authority, and declining of judges; for it is not so;-I being a presbyterian in my judgment, and owning both magistracy and ministry, according to the word of God, and as he hath ordained them but if Charles Stuart's authority be according to the word of God, I am mistaken. If he be exercising his power, to the terrifying of evil-doers, and the encouraging them that do well, I die in an error. I say, beware of your judging, for I am a presbyterian in my judgment, and a member of the church of Scotland, and am to seal it with my blood.

"I adhere to that blessed transaction between the Father and the Son, that holy device devised from all eternity,-the Father to send his Son, and the Son to come and satisfy divine justice, and so redeem lost man. I adhere to all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which are all standing in force until this day, and obligatory upon us, except the ceremonial law, with a part of the judicial, which is now abrogated and abolished by our Lord's coming,-he being the end of the law. I adhere to our glorious work of reformation, Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Acknowledgment of Sins, and Engagement to Duties, though they be abused and misconstructed by many. And I adhere to the Sum of Saving Knowledge, wherein is held forth the life and marrow of religion. I adhere to all the testimonies that have been given. Mr. Guthrie, Argyle, and Warriston,they gave in their testimony according to the light that the Lord gave them; and I do not condemn their testimony, as some say, for at some times the Lord gives more light than at other times; so it cannot be said, that we contradict or disown their testimony, though it hath pleased the Lord, through continuance of time, to give more light of the abounding abominations that are still growing and abounding in this generation; and so whatever they omitted through want of that light, which it hath pleased the Lord to let us see, makes no contradiction. I adhere to the Rutherglen and Sanquhar Declarations. I adhere to the Paper found upon Mr Richard Cameron at Airsmos

July 22, 1680. I adhere to the Papers that were found at the Queensferry upon Henry Hall. I adhere to any writings that are according to the word of God, for truth is truth, come by whom it will. Now, as a dying man, I adhere to all these things. I have received an unjust sentence from men, for owning and adhering to the same, and for protesting against the inbringing of Popery, to defile the land. And likewise, upon these accounts, I disown Charles Stuart to be my king and sovereign: First, because of that hellish Act of Supremacy, and that Act Rescissory, whereby they have overturned and wrested all the laws, acts, and constitutions of the land: for in the foresaid act, he assumeth that unto himself which belongs properly to our Lord and Master, and says, That he rules over all things both spiritual and temporal; and then, when he hath made himself supreme over all things, he rescinds the laws that are of God, and sets up other laws to satisfy his own lusts, in murdering, killing and destroying the Lord's people; and this is the reason why I disown him and likewise his dreadful perjury and blasphemy in his covenant-breaking. I decline them as judges, for the opening a door there to Popery, which they have done, by receiving that popish duke in among them, which I protest and leave my testimony against ;-it being contrary to our engagements to suffer papists to dwell amongst us, and to have a professed papist to usurp over us,-it being repugnant to our principles. I leave my testimony against Prelacy,-it being a limb of that antichristian whore of Rome. I leave my testimony against all the abominations of this generation, as blaspheming of the holy name of the Lord, drunkenness, stealing, whoring, sodomy, and all manner of uncleanness. I leave my testimony against all indifferency and lukewarm neutrality in our Lord's matters. I leave my testimony against the indulgencies first and last, as having a greater hand in breaking of the church of Scotland, than all the enemies living in it could have done; for they sold their Master's truths, and gave away their pleasant things with their own hands, and so came in under Charles Stuart, and took him for their head, and have cast off their rightful head Jesus Christ; Eph. i. 22. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church.' Wo will be unto them, for what they have done to the poor kirk of Scotland. I leave my testimony against silent and unwatchful ministers. Remember, there are many taken away, and it is to be feared, in their iniquity; and do ye think that ye are free of their blood? Ye may look what warning ye have given, and if it be faithful; then ye may say, that ye are not guilty. But there is not a minister this day, who dares say, he is at his duty. They refuse to give counsel when asked at, as I myself can witness; for when that liberation was granted, I sent to one of them, and charged him, as 1 judged him faithful, to tell me his mind, which he refused; and said, silence might serve for an answer, I was not suffering for truth. But I heartily forgive him, and all men, what they have done to me, as for my own particular; but how they have reproached Christ and his way, it is not mine to forgive them.

"O the ministers of Scotland are become light and treacherous

me, now when I am set up like a beacon upon the top of an hill, and the eyes of many being upon me, and all are wondering at me, and calling me distracted, and saying, I am a fool, but (the Lord be thanked) I have all the senses that ever I had, though distressed, yet I despair not. Neither am I suffering as a fool; for I know assuredly, this is the way to obtain the promise. There is nothing in it meritorious, I confess; for all my suffering, he may put me into hell; but I say, the suffering of reproaches and the scourge of tongues, is a symptom or mark of his way, when it is for his sake, Matth. v. 11. 'Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and speak all manner of evil against you, and persecute you for my name's sake.' It is for his name's sake that I am suffering, and this confirms me of it, Matth. x. 22. 'Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he that endureth unto the end, shall be saved.'

"Now, it is for Christ's kingly office that I am suffering; and this being the main head on which my suffering is stated, even that great truth, viz. Jesus Christ is king and head of Zion, I desire and charge you to beware of misconstructing my sufferings, and saying, that I was suffering for disowning of authority, and declining of judges; for it is not so;-I being a presbyterian in my judgment, and owning both magistracy and ministry, according to the word of God, and as he hath ordained them but if Charles Stuart's authority be according to the word of God, I am mistaken. If he be exercising his power, to the terrifying of evil-doers, and the encouraging them that do well, I die I say, beware of your judging, for I am a presbyterian in my judgment, and a member of the church of Scotland, and am to seal it with my blood.

in an error.

"I adhere to that blessed transaction between the Father and the Son, that holy device devised from all eternity,—the Father to send his Son, and the Son to come and satisfy divine justice, and so redeem lost man. I adhere to all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which are all standing in force until this day, and obligatory upon us, except the ceremonial law, with a part of the judicial, which is now abrogated and abolished by our Lord's coming,-he being the end of the law. I adhere to our glorious work of reformation, Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Acknowledgment of Sins, and Engagement to Duties, though they be abused and misconstructed by many. And I adhere to the Sum of Saving Knowledge, wherein is held forth the life and marrow of religion. I adhere to all the testimonies that have been given. Mr. Guthrie, Argyle, and Warriston,— they gave in their testimony according to the light that the Lord gave them; and I do not condemn their testimony, as some say, for at some times the Lord gives more light than at other times; so it cannot be said, that we contradict or disown their testimony, though it hath pleased the Lord, through continuance of time, to give more light of the abounding abominations that are still growing and abounding in this generation; and so whatever they omitted through want of that light, which it hath pleased the Lord to let us see, makes no contradiction. I adhere to the Rutherglen and Sanquhar Declarations. I adhere to the Paper found upon Mr Richard Cameron at Airsmos

:

:

July 22, 1680. I adhere to the Papers that were found at the Queensferry upon Henry Hall. I adhere to any writings that are according to the word of God, for truth is truth, come by whom it will. Now, as a dying man, I adhere to all these things. I have received an unjust sentence from men, for owning and adhering to the same, and for protesting against the inbringing of Popery, to defile the land. And likewise, upon these accounts, I disown Charles Stuart to be my king and sovereign: First, because of that hellish Act of Supremacy, and that Act Rescissory, whereby they have overturned and wrested all the laws, acts, and constitutions of the land for in the foresaid act, he assumeth that unto himself which belongs properly to our Lord and Master, and says, That he rules over all things both spiritual and temporal; and then, when he hath made himself supreme over all things, he rescinds the laws that are of God, and sets up other laws to satisfy his own lusts, in murdering, killing and destroying the Lord's people; and this is the reason why I disown him and likewise his dreadful perjury and blasphemy in his covenant-breaking. I decline them as judges, for the opening a door there to Popery, which they have done, by receiving that popish duke in among them, which I protest and leave my testimony against;-it being contrary to our engagements to suffer papists to dwell amongst us, and to have a professed papist to usurp over us, it being repugnant to our principles. 1 leave my testimony against Prelacy,-it being a limb of that antichristian whore of Rome. I leave my testimony against all the abominations of this generation, as blaspheming of the holy name of the Lord, drunkenness, stealing, whoring, sodomy, and all manner of uncleanness. I leave my testimony against all indifferency and lukewarm neutrality in our Lord's matters. I leave my testimony against the indulgencies first and last, as having a greater hand in breaking of the church of Scotland, than all the enemies living in it could have done; for they sold their Master's truths, and gave away their pleasant things with their own hands, and so came in under Charles Stuart, and took him for their head, and have cast off their rightful head Jesus Christ; Eph. i. 22. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church.' Wo will be unto them, for what they have done to the poor kirk of Scotland. I leave my testimony against silent and unwatchful ministers. Remember, there are many taken away, and it is to be feared, in their iniquity; and do ye think that ye are free of their blood? Ye may look what warning ye have given, and if it be faithful; then ye may say, that ye are not guilty. But there is not a minister this day, who dares say, he is at his duty. They refuse to give counsel when asked at, as I myself can witness; for when that liberation was granted, I sent to one of them, and charged him, as 1 judged him faithful, to tell me his mind, which he refused; and said, silence might serve for an answer, I was not suffering for truth. But I heartily forgive him, and all men, what they have done to me, as for my own particular; but how they have reproached Christ and his way, it is not mine to forgive them.

[ocr errors]

"O the ministers of Scotland are become light and treacherous

« PreviousContinue »