up the street to the Parliament-close, where I was taken down, and the rest loosed: all was done by the hanginan. I was carried up to the council, and first put into a room alone, where the chancellor came, and asked if I knew him? I answered, Yes. He (after some protestations of love,* to which I answered nothing) went his way; and then I was brought in before the council, where the chancellor read a ditty against me. First anent the bishop's murder; to which I answered, I was obliged by no law, either of God or man, to answer to it and neither to accuse myself, nor reveal others by vindicating myself, or any other way. The advocate asked, Where I was the To whom I answered, I am not

:

third day of May was a year? bound to keep a memorial where I am, or what I do every day. The chancellor asked, if I thought it murder? To which I answered, though I was not bound to answer such questions, yet I would not call it so, but rather say, It was no murder. The advocate said, Sir, you must be a great liar, to say you remember not where you was that day, it being so remarkable a day. I replied, Sir, you must be a far greater liar, to say, I answered such a thing. Whereupon the chancellor replied, My lord advocate, he said only, he was not bound to keep in memory every day's work.

"The chancellor asked, If I adhered to Mr. Cargill's papers, which they called the New Covenant taken at the Ferry? I answered, I would know what any would say against them. He asked, if I owned the king's authority ? I told, though I was not bound to answer such

* It appears that between Rathillet and the Chancellor there had formerly subsisted a very close intimacy, and this may account for the expressions of ation or of interest which are here referred to. Whether such expressions

Sincere or not, it is impossible to determine They do not seem to have been judge so by Rathillet And certainly it might well have been expected, that even the most moderate degree of regard, if sincere, might have sufficed to procure for a friend, the benefit of a sentence less repugnant to the feelings of humanity.

+ According to Wodrow, Rathillet was the first of the sufferers who publicly denied the authority of the king and his officers. And that the reader may judge for himself as to the grounds on which he did so; we quote the following account of his examination on July 24th, and of his declinature on July 29th and 30th, as given in the Cloud of Witnesses,

His Interrogations and Answers before the Privy Council,

on Saturday, July 24, 1680

1. WHETHER or not had you any hand in the murdering of the late bishop of St. Andrews? Answered, He was not obliged to answer that question, nor be his own accuser. 2. What he would declare as to the king's authority? Answered, That authority that disowns the interest of God, and states itself in opposition to Jesus Christ, is no more to be owned; but so it is, the king's authority is now such, therefore it ought not to be owned. 3. Whether the killing of the archbishop of St. Andrews was murder, yea, or no? Answered, That he thought it no sin to despatch a bloody monster. 4. If he owned the new covenant taken at Queensferry, from Mr. Cargill one of their preachers? Answered, That he did own it in every particular thereof, and would fain see the man that in conscience and reason would debate the contrary. 5. If he were at liberty, and had the power to kill any of the king's council, and murder them as he did the bishop of St. Andrews, whether he would do it, yea, or no? Answered, That he had no spare time to answer such frivolous and childish questions.

questions, yet being permitted to speak, 1 would say somewhat to that And first, that there could be no lawful authority but what was of God; and that no authority, stated in a direct opposition to God, could be of God; and that I knew of no authority nor judicatory this

The chancellor told him, that if he were not more ingenuous in his answers, he would presently be tortured. He answered, 'That is but a little addition to your former cruelties, and I have that comfort, that though you torture my wounded body, yet ye cannot reach my soul.' The chancellor urged him with several other questions, which he refused to answer. 'But,' said he, I would gladly speak a little if I could have liberty;' which was allowed him. Then he said, Ye know that youth is a folly, and I acknowledge that in my younger years I was too much carried down with the speat of it; but that inexhaustible fountain of the goodness and grace of God, which is free and great, hath reclaimed me, and as a fire-brand hath plucked me out of the claws of Satan; and now I stand here before you as a prisoner of Jesus Christ, for adhering to his cause and interest, which hath been sealed with the blood of many worthies, who have suffered in these lands, and have witnessed to the truths of Christ these few years bygone; and I do own all the testimonies given by them, and desire to put my mite among theirs, and am not only willing to seal it with my blood, but also with the sharpest tortures that you can imagine.' Then, being interrogated by the bishop of Edinburgh, what he would answer to that article of the Confession of Faith, that difference of religion doth not make void the magistrate's right and authority?' He answered, He would not answer any perjured prelate the bishop replied, He was in the wrong to him, because he never took the covenant, therefore he was not perjured, and so deserved not that name. But some of them asked him, how he would answer that question? He answered, That question was answered long ago by the Solemn League and Covenant, which binds us only to maintain and defend the king in the defence of the true religion; but now the king having stated himself an enemy to religion, and ai that will live religiously, therefore it is high time to shake off all obligation of allegiance to his authority. These interrogations were all read to him in the face of the council, and he owned them all.

The next day that he was arraigned before the council, they asked if he had any more to say? He answered, That which he had to say was said already in every particular thereof; and,' said he, I will not only seal it with my blood, but with all the tortures ye can imagine.'

Extract of the proceedings of the Privy Council. "Edinburgh, July 29th, 1680.-In presence of the lords justiciary, clerk, and commissioners of justiciary, compeared David Hackston, of Rathillet, and declines the king's majesty's authority of the commissioners of justiciary as his judges, and absolutely refuses to sign this declaration, as being before persons who are not his judges. He refuses to answer concerning the murder of the late bishop of St. Andrews, and says, the causes of his declinement are, Because they have usurped the supremacy over the church, belonging alone to Jesus Christ, and have established idolatry, perjury and other iniquities; and in prosecuting their design, in confirming themselves in this usurped right, have shed much innocent blood. Therefore the said David, adhereing to Christ, his rights and kingly office over the church, declines them that are his open enemies and competitors for his crown and power, as competent judges; refuses, as formerly, to sign this his declaration, dated from his own mouth; whereupon his majesty's advocate takes instruments, and requires the commissioners of justiciary to sign the same in his presence, as for him; and his majesty's advocate takes instrut ments, that the said David has declined his majesty's authority, and the authority of his commissioners, and refused to deny the murder of the late bishop of St. Andrews, and requires Messrs. John Vas, James Balfour, and the men of the court witnesses to the foresaid declaration. Sic Sub-Sir Robert Maitland, James Foulis, David Balfour, David Falconer, Rodger Hodge." Upon Friday, July 30, being peain fe

day in these nations, but what were in a direct opposition to God, and so could neither be of God, nor lawful, and that their fruits were kything it, in that they were setting bugerers, murderers, sorcerers, and such others at liberty from justice, and employing them in their service, and made it their whole work to oppress, kill, and destroy the Lord's people. The chancellor and all raged, and desired me to instance one of such, so set at liberty and employed. I answered to that, Though it were enough to instance any such when I saw a judicatory to execute justice, yet I would instance one; and I instanced a bugerer, liberated at the sheriff court of Fife, and afterwards employed in their service. At which, the chancellor raged, and said, I behoved to be a liar: but I offered to prove it. Bishop Paterson asked, if ever Pilate and that judicatory, who were direct enemies to Christ, were disowned by him as judges? I answered, that I would answer no perjured prelate in the nation. He answered, that he could not be called perjured, because he never took that sacrilegious covenant. I answered, that God would own that covenant when none of them were to oppose it. They cried all, I was prophesying: I answered, I was not prophesying, but I durst not doubt, but that God, who had such singular love to these lands, as to bring them into covenant in so peculiar a manner with him, would let it be seen that his faithfulness was engaged to carry it through in opposition to his enemies. Some asked, what I answered to that article of the Confession of Faith concerning the king? I answered, It was cleared in these two covenants. The advocate asked, What I said of that article of the covenant, wherein we are bound to maintain and defend the king? I desired him to tell out the rest of it, which was, in defence of religion, but not in the destruction of religion. The chancellor threatened me with the Boots, and other terrible things; and said, I should not have the benefit of a sudden death. To which I answered, it would be but an addition to their cruelties used against God's people before, and that I was there a prisoner of Christ, owning his truths against his open enemies, and referred it to their own acts of parliament and council, to let their cruelty and opposition to God and his people be seen.

"After this, they called for a surgeon, and removed me to another room; where he dressed my wounds. In which time, the chancellor came and kindly asked, If ever I said to a shepherd on the Mounthill,

of him if he had any other thing to say? He answered, That which I have said I will seal it. Then they told him, that they had something to say to him; and commanded him to sit down and receive his sentence; which willingly he did, but told them they were all bloody murderers, for all the power they had was derived from tyranny; and that these years bygone they had not only tyrannized over the church of God, but had also grinded the faces of the poor, so that oppressions, bloodshed, perjury, and many murders were to be found in their skirts, Upon which, he was, incontinent, carried away to the scaffold, at the market cross of Edinburgh; where he died with great torture inflicted upon his body, not being permitted to leave any testimony to the world, except what is comprehended in the above letters directed to some of his Christian acquaintances, from his prison in the tolbooth of Edinburgh."

* Cloud of Witnesses.

That if I thought they would not put me to an ignominious death, 1 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. I 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 my 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

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 J 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.