That if I thought they would not put me to an ignominious death, I would refer myself to the chancellor ? I said, No. He said, A shepherd came to him and said so. I said, that he, or any other who had said so to him were liars. I was asked by some concerning our strength; to whom I told how few we were, and that surprised by such a strong party, and knowing with what cruel orders they came against us, we were forced to fight, After dressing of my wounds, I was brought back to them, and these things being written, were read over to me; to which I adhered and being asked, if I would sign them, I said, No. The chancellor said, He would do it for me. Some one of them asked, at the same time, concerning my being at some other business to whom I answered, That though I was not obliged to answer such questions, yet I adhered to all that had been done in behalf of that cause against its enemies. After which, I was sent to the tolbooth, and have met since with all manner of kindness; and want for nothing. My wounds are duly dressed, which, I fear, may prove deadly, they being all in the head, the rest of my body is safe.

"In all these trials, (I bless the Lord) I was stayed, unmoved; no alteration of countenance in the least, nor impatience appeared. Some of them have come to me, and regretted that such a man as I should have been led away with Cameron. I answered, He was a faithful minister of Jesus Christ, and as for me, I desired to be one of those despicable ones whom Christ choosed. They said, It was a Quakerlike answer. I told it was the words of Christ and his apostles. Bishop Paterson's brother, unknown to me, had a long reasoning with me, but, I think, not to truth's advantage. He told me, that the whole council observed, that I gave them not their due titles: at which I smiled, and made no reply. He said, I was ill to the bishop. 1 told, that I asserted the truth. He said, that he never took the covenant, and so could not be perjured. I answered, prelacy itself was abjured by the whole nation. He told me, that the whole council found, I was a man of great parts, and also of good birth. I replied, that, for my birth, I was related to the best in the kingdom, which I thought little of; and for my parts they were small; yet I trusted so much to the goodness of that cause for which I was a prisoner, that if they would give God that justice as to let his cause be disputed, I doubted not to plead it against all that could speak against it. It was cast up to me both at the council and here, that there were not two hundred in the nation to own our cause. answered at both times, that the cause of Christ had been often owned by fewer. I was pressed to take advice; I answered, I would advise with God and any own conscience, and would not depend on men, and refused to debate any more, since it was to no purpose, being troublesome to me, and not advantageous to the cause. the council, some said, I was possessed with a devil; some one thing, some another. The chancellor said I was a vicious man: I answered, while I was so, I had been acceptable to him; but now, when otherwise, it was not so. He asked me, if I would yet own that cause with my blood, if at liberty? I answered, both our fathers had

I

At

1

owned it with the hazard of their blood before me. Then was I called by all, a murderer. I answered, God should decide it betwixt us; to whom I refer it, who were most murderers in his sight, they or I?

us.

6

"You have an account, as near as I can give, of what passed among Be you, and desire all others to be, earnest with God in my behalf; for I am weak, and cannot stand without constant supplies of the graces of his Spirit, O! I am afraid lest I deny him: I have rich promises, but I want faith. Pray and wrestle in my behalf, and in behalf of the rest. And show this to my friends in that cause with me, especially D. K. Let all lie before the Lord, that he would show us the cause of his anger against us: and let me know, with the first occasion, who of us were slain. Commend me to all friends and let none stumble at the cause, because of this. It was often in my mouth to almost all, that if we purged not ourselves of the public and particular sins among us, God would break us, and bring a delivery out of our ashes.' Let none murmur at what we should think our glory. And let ministers and others be afraid to be more tender of men than God's glory. And however it be a stumbling to some, let it be a token of the love of God, to his church, to you, and all that love his truth. Pray for the out-lettings of all the graces of God's Spirit to me, and all the rest. I have need of patience, submission, humility, love to, and zeal for God; hope and faith above all, without which I am but a frail worm, and will fall before these enemies of mine, inward and outward. And thus recommending you to his grace, who hath bought us with his precious blood, and remembering my love to all friends, I am, yours in our sweet Lord, and Sympathizer in our afflictions :

"DAVID HACKSTON."

"P. S. You may let others see this, but have a care to keep it; because I have no double, and it may be all my testimony. Send nothing to me, for I am fully seen to, and have met with kindness from all sorts; only friends have not liberty to see me. My love to you and all friends. I said to Clerk Paterson, that I should have seen Mr. Cargill's papers, before I had answered anent them."*

2. TO A CHRISTIAN LADY.

"Tolbooth of Edinburgh, July 28th, 1680.-Madam, The bearer shows me, your ladyship desires to know what I mean by the Achan I mentioned in my other; which I shall explain: and alas! that I have such a wide field to walk in, when I name such a thing; for I know not how to find out the man that is free of the accursed thing among us, for which God is contending against the land; especially against such as would be most free of the public sins, and most downright for God. Only, I desire both to reverence, and admire the holy wisdom and loving kindness of God, that is, by these dark-like dispensations, purging his people, that he may bring

• Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 63–72.

forth a chaste spouse to himself in Scotland. These are tokens of his fatherly love: and I fear a delivery, while we stand guilty of such things, as are so open whoredoms against our married husband, might rather be looked upon as a bill of divorce, than joining again in a married relation. And first, I must explain the national sins, according to the light God hath bestowed upon me, out of his free grace, who is not tied to any, but chooseth and revealeth himself to whom he will; and often glorifies his free grace, in making use even of the greatest sinners, as I confess I have been one which national sins are contained in our national decrees.

"And first, the whole land is become guilty of idolatry, as it is established by the acts of supremacy, especially in the act explanatory; wherein all the declarative glory and prerogatives of Jesus Christ are given to the king;-which is fearful idolatry, in ascribing that which he hath purchased with his precious blood, and received from his Father, as his gift, and hath reserved as his peculiar glory; giving this, I say, unto a creature, whom, by this blasphemous decree, we have set up in the room of Jesus Christ, as governor and absolute head and judge in all ecclesiastic affairs: and by the same decree, all acts and laws contrary to it are rescinded, and the whole word of God, contained in the scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments, are a law contrary to it, and so by this are rescinded. Now, besides this sin of idolatry; by the act rescissory, all other acts, oaths, covenants, and engagements, that the lands are lying under, sworn to God, and in his name, are rescinded, and declared null and in contempt of God, to whom, and in whose name they were so solemnly sworn, and so often renewed, are burnt by the hands of the hangman, through several places of these covenanted kingdoms. This is a legal perjury and breach of covenant, unparallelable in sacred or profane history. Besides, in contempt of the presence of God, seen at the meetings of his people convened in his name, they have declared them rendezvouses of rebellion: and by another act, have accounted it presumption for a minister to preach without doors;-thus contemning the call of Christ; whereby they set themselves above God. I could instance many horrid things acted and done by them, in their prosecuting the design of having that idol of theirs fixed in the usurpation of the prerogatives of Jesus Christ; yet not doubting but your ladyship knows many of them, I shall for brevity's sake omit only, the land is filled, from the one end to the other, with innocent blood, shed on that account and with other terrible abominations, detestable among Turks and heathens: I think in God's righteous judgment, these men are given up thereto, for the upfilling of the measure of their iniquity, that he may be glorified in the stroke of his justice upon all ranks, which is fast hastening, and that inevitably.

"But next, to mention who are guilty hereof; I know not how to do it; only I may say, I know none can be called free, and a freeing of any, or ourselves thereof, is but a hardening ourselves against God, and a defending sin against him, who is a swift witness, and will not be mocked, but will bring forth the hidden things of

dishonesty to light.' And therefore, not to mention the idol of the Lord's jealousy, or those that are prosecuting his wicked commands under him, or prelates and their adherents, I judge, and I fear, God will esteem all guilty of these forementioned sins, that have any way owned any of these, after their wickedness was discovered, and much more, such as have by their personal deeds homologated these wicked decrees, and that either by paying cesses for strengthening them in their down-bearing of the meetings of God's people for his worship, met in opposition to these wicked decrees, which is their consent to, and contribution for, the strengthening them in all their wickedness against God, or yet by subscribing any manner of bonds to them, which is, an acknowledging them in that relation wherein they stand, and are designing to fix themselves, when they are pursuing, taking, imprisoning, and letting them out on these bonds again. For, their end in all their prosecutions of this nature, is to confirm themselves in this usurpation of the crown of Christ, as head of the church: and a subscribing any manner of bond prescribed by them, is, and will be, in the sight of God, an acknowledging them as head of the church, in the several stations wherein they have stated themselves ;— the king as head, and they as factors under him, prosecuting his will, and putting in execution his commands; and an acknowledging any other head, any manner of way, over the church, is directly a denying of Christ before men, in his kingly office, which is a plain denying of him, and hath sore threatenings annexed thereunto.

"Icould mention many other circumstances, wherein this generation has touched the accursed thing, and has bowed the knee to that Baal-like idol of the Lord's indignation and anger; but I shall only mention besides these two, a third, of some who have appeared in arms against God, for, and in company with his enemies. Now, that way of giving and taking satisfaction for these sins, which some are for, I cannot consent to: for first, these sinful practices being practices immediately against God, and the first table of the law, no satisfaction to man can be sufficient. I close not that door that God hath opened in mercy to the really penitent, but, I say, real evidences that God has forgiven, should be, before a joining with such in society. I know the gospel should be preached to all, that they may repent,-that being the means God hath appointed for conversion, when men have sinned: but Oh! when men after light fall into these things, and others counsel and advise them to such things, fearful shall their doom be, if God prevent them not in his mercy! Now, madam, there were some such among us; and, as I have observed, God has still punished that party that has been appearing for him, when they have taken in, and joined with, the men of these abominations; and has, as it were, laid by such as have complied with the time's apostasy,-I doubt not,-reserving them to the general stroke he is threatening the whole lands with. O that one and all were making their soul's interest sure with God!

"Madam, I shall not mention the several steps of apostasy and defection from God in these lands, in complying one way or other with the stated enemies of the living God, to the strengthening them

in their usurpations of Christ's crown and privileges, and hardening them in their sin, in shedding, so many ways, so much innocent blood, and their other wicked courses: neither shall I mention that idolizing of men that is among us, to the provoking of God, to let, yea, cause them fall: neither that selfishness that is among us in our appearances for God, which cannot away with a holy, spotless, and jealous God, who will not give his glory to another.' Oh! that one and all were mourning for, and acknowledging our own and the land's guiltiness in these things, and were seeking brokenness of spirit, which is a sacrifice well-pleasing to God, that God might be reconciled to us, and set up by his Spirit,-his standard; and gather in his own people thereto; and might let out his Spirit to one and all that are called by his name. I doubt not but God will save a remnant, but it will be of such in whom his free grace will be glorified, and not of the great ones, that have not rendered to the Lord, according to the talents he bestowed on them. Remember me to my fellowprisoners, especially such as are keeping their garments clean of these pollutions; and be earnest with God in my behalf, that he would keep me standing, by his free grace,—in this trial,—in patience, humility, and godly fear. And I am, madam, your ladyship's, in all humility, in Jesus Christ:

"DAVID HACKSTON."*

3. TO HIS CHRISTIAN FRIEND N———. "July 28, 1680.-Dear and Christian acquaintance, My love being remembered to you and all friends in Jesus Christ; these are to show you and all others that I know and love the truth, as it is this day owned by the smallest handful that pretend thereto; and that I was yesterday before the lords of justiciary. They charged me with several things. I declined the king's authority as an usurper of the prerogatives of the Son of God, whereby he hath involved the lands in idolatry, perjury, and other wickednesses: and I declined them as exercising under him the supreme power over the church, usurped from Jesus Christ; who, in carrying on their designs of confirming themselves in their usurpations of the crown of Christ, had shed so much innocent blood throughout the land: and that therefore I, as an owner of Christ's right, and his kingly office, which they by their wicked decrees had taken from him, durst not, with my own consent, sustain them as competent judges; but declined them as open and stated enemies to the living God, and competitors for his throne and power, belonging alone to him; whereupon, I was dismissed, and at night my indictment to compear to-morrow before an assize, was intimated. Therefore I entreat you will, (for I know you have been moying with God,)-cause other faithful friends set time apart, and inquire the Lord's mind concerning me; and be earnest with him in my behalf, that he will glorify himself in me. You may send your letter to with a sure hand, who will give it to me. Wherever Mr. D. C. is, -acquaint him with my case, or send him this line; for I know the

⚫ Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 72-76.