I give my testimony to the Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Sum of Saving Knowledge, Directory for Worship, the order of the church of Scotland. 5thly, I give my testimony to the divine worship, discipline and government of the church of Scotland, both by kirk-sessions, presbyteries, synods, and general assemblies. 6thly, I give my testimony to the Covenants, National and Solemn League and Covenant. 7thly, I give my testimony to the faithful actings of the protestors, called remonstrances, against malignants and malignant interests, which is the very thing this poor church is contending for, this day. 8thly, I give my testimony to all the faithful testimonies of the people of God, that have been given for that noble work, whether on scaffolds, or in the fields, or on the seas. 9thly, I give my testimony to the faithful actings of the last martyr; although this generation is calling sin a duty, and duty a sin, because of hazard; for if this generation get leave to go on in their pernicious ways, they will not believe that there is a God in heaven to punish such sinners and sins as are committed in the land. Mal. iii. 9. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.'

"Now, Ist, I witness my testimony against the public resolutioners, for bringing in the malignant party to places of power and trust, for which this poor land is smarting, and bearing the weight of their hands to this day. 2dly, I leave my testimony against that act of supremacy, and the act rescissory by which two they have overturned the whole work of reformation, both in kirk and state. 3dly, I leave my testimony against the unfaithfulness of ministers, both indulged, and others, who are sheltering themselves under the wings of those who have declared themselves enemies to all godliness: and I wonder how they can say, they are even-down for God, yet never one of them is troubled, be troubled who will; for before my face, one of these ministers said (viz. Mr. Anthony Shaw by name,) he prayed, God save him from the man that would not pray for the king in his person and government; to whom I said, magistrates ought to punish evil-doers: indeed so he doth,' said he. 4thly, I leave my testimony against the wrongers of my lovely Lord's crown, all in general. 5thly, I leave my testimony against the hearers of these perjured curates, throughout the land; but especially in that corner of the land, to wit, Kilmarnock, for their going to kirks, subscribing of bonds, paying of fines, which includeth in it the acknowledgment of a fault, which I deny we have done, but they have done it to us; and yet never a watchman to testify against it! 6thly, I leave my testimony against paying of the cess, or any other thing that may strengthen the hands of evil-doers: Isa. lxv. 11. For ye are they that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish a drink-offering unto that number.'

"Now I will speak a word to three sorts of folk: 1st, To you that are strangers, enemies to my lovely Lord, let your estrangedness be done away, fly to him, ere he break out in fury against you. O consider how near you are to the destroyer, if ye fly not unto him: and if you fly in unto him he will abundantly pardon. Therefore, I entreat, that ye would turn from your evil ways, and leave off your persecution, and flee to him, for there is mercy with him that he may be fersed:

and if ye will not turn, wrath will be upon you to all eternity. A second sort, are those that formerly have known God, and now are fallen from their first love: O consider your former ways, and turn again to your first husband, lest there be no space to repent; for all the ways that ye have taken to get past trouble, will not hide you from him who is the great sin-revenging God; and he will bring all your sins, and your compliance, to stand witness against you; therefore delay not repentance, for ye will find death have enough ado with itself. A third sort, are those who desire to walk in his way, and to keep themselves from the crying wickedness of these times. O stand fast in the faith; for there is no other burden laid upon you, 'but hold fast till he come.' O for that day when ye shall be made one stick in his hand and have fervent charity among yourselves!—and 'Let him that standeth, take heed lest he fall,' for ye will find enough ado with it, when death comes ; therefore let the main thing be your study, and get once that made sure that cannot be taken from you; for have many enemies to fight with, if ye get through, for the way to heaven is very strait for it is no wonder Satan seek to tempt poor Christians, when he essayed to tempt our blessed Lord and Master. Let none of you think it strange, concerning what hath befallen me, for it is in his holy wisdom he hath carved out my lot, such; and I have been made to bless him for my lot. O! study to wrestle against your own corruptions, which are very heavy to me sometimes, but his love hath been great in bringing me out of the state of nature, and hath brought me to see my own weakness, and also hath given me a sight of the remedy, for which my soul shall be made to praise him throughout all eternity.

ye

"Now, my dear friends in Christ, study to walk blameless in all manner of conversation, as becometh the gospel; let your light so shine before the world, that they may be ashamed that shall accuse your good conversation in Christ: for now ye need not think, if ye keep the way of God, but ye will have many enemies, both within and without, therefore seek strength from him who is able to give it: ye need not think, that all the stock of grace that a man hath, will be sufficient when the trial comes, if there be not fresh supply given in the time of need. O! wrestle with him, that ye may be hid in the day of his wrath, that seems to be poured out on this generation, for their great treachery and departure from God,--the breach of his laws, and subjecting to the laws of men; but my eyes shall be closed, that I shall not see it, and I am well content, seeing I get my soul for a prey,then I shall have no loss.

"Now, as for His way with his church, it is mysterious to me; but this I think is a token for good, that he is taking some to witness for his despised and trampled-upon truths, and he will keep some witnessing still, until he return again: but indeed I think it seems it is but very few that will see him return again in this generation. Now, death is called 'the king of terrors,' but I think it is not so with me; 1 Cor. xv. 55. O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?' 2 Cor. v. 1. For we know if this earthly tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in

the heavens: for which we long earnestly, to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord, which is far better.'

Now, I declare I am free of the blood of all men; and although men have no public scandal to charge me with, yet by original and actual transgression, I am the chief of sinners; but His love hath been great, the manifestations of his presence hath been great also; for Satan hath not been wanting to assault, but yet glory to His name, who hath resisted him, and hath not permitted him to get his will. Now, as my last words, I recommend it to all, to be tender one of another, without sinning; and be in earnest with God, for ye will find death will have enough ado with itself; therefore delay not repentance, lest he come when ye are not aware. Now, as for these men that are unjustly taking away my life, only for adhering to the truth, and for no other end;-now for what they do to me, as I am of myself, I freely forgive them and all others, and especially these blinded soldiers, that do what they do ignorantly (some of them); but as they do it to the image of God in me, that is not mine to forgive; but I leave to him, 'to whom vengeance doth belong,' that he may do with them what may most glorify himself.

"Now, my work is finished, I have fought the good fight; I have finished my course; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness; but let such as will condemn me read that scripture, Rom. viii. 33.Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? it is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? For my lot is fallen to me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage; for I would not change my lot for the greatest man's upon earth. Men and angels praise him for this; all the creation praise him; O! my soul shall praise him, through all the ages of eternity.

"Now, farewell all true friends in Christ; farewell Christian relations; farewell sweet and holy scriptures; farewell prayer and meditation; farewell sinning and suffering. Welcome heaven; welcome innumerable company of angels, and the church of the first-born, and the spirits of just men made perfect; welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; welcome praises for evermore. Now, dear Father, receive my Spirit, for it is thine, even so come Lord Jesus.

"Sic sub.-JOHN NISBET."*

XXVIII. JOHN WILSON.

[This was a man of great integrity and worth, with no small share of learning and talent. He was by profession a writer in the town of Lanark, and having held a commission in the Presbyterian army at the battle of Bothwell, he was with many others condemned, though absent, to suffer death as soon as he should be apprehended. At what time he was taken cannot be ascertained; but on the 17th of April, he was brought before the Council, examined, and remitted to

*Cloud of Witnesses.

I

the Justiciary;-by whom, notwithstanding his acute and able reasonings to the contrary, he was at length found guilty. Previous to the reading of the sentence, he was urged to receive the Test, but refused; and thus adhering to his principles, he was executed on the 17th of May, 1683. His testimony is contained in the following Papers:]

1. HIS ANSWERS BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

"THE chancellor said, We having called James Laurie, produced to him a letter wrote by you to him, wherein you reprove him for calling Bothwell, rebellion: he owned, That it had convinced his conscience, and said, That he was sorry for what he spoke; and we produced him a letter supposed to be in answer to yours, which he denied;-tell us, who wrote that letter? John Wilson answered, I will not tell by whom, only it was not written by James Laurie. Q. Who is the lady mentioned in the end of the letter? A. I dare not burden my conscience to tell. Q. Do you own authority? A. What authority? Q. What think you of Bothwell? Was it not unlawful to rise in arms? A. I dare not say that it is unlawful; for the confession contained in your Test says, Article 15. That it is a good work to defend the life of the harmless;' and however God hath disposed of those people, yet suppose the Lord will own those for defending themselves against those that sought their life, that hearing their neighbours who had been worshipping God, were in jeopardy of their lives, thought it their duty to rise for their relief. Q. Was Pentland, rebellion? A. The oppression of these poor people was such, that the then rulers condemned Sir James Turner for his cruelty. Upon this, one answered, That he knew, Sir James went not the length of his commission. Q. Was the bishop's death, murder? 'Have me excused, gentlemen, I will not answer to that.' Being urged farther, he said, It being nothing concerning my salvation, I do not pry into it. Upon this they said, Did Bothwell concern your salvation? To which he replied, There are none that engage themselves in service to God, but it behoves them to be at His call, and it being for saving the life of the harmless, I durst not sit God's bidding. Q. Are you a minister? A. No. They here alleged some of his letters importing so much: and being desired to read the place, they read somewhat about a call to some ministry, nothing relating thereto. Q. Will you not condemn the bishop's death, as murder? A. I dare not, for fear God having justified some of these actors they should rise in judgment and condemn me. Q. Is there no other way but to rise in arms against the king? A. I suppose you have read bishop Honeyman's answer to Naphtali, wherein he says, "A king may be resisted, in case he should alienate the kingdom to strangers: and that being granted, religion being taken away, was as dear to us as any outward interest. One replied, The bishop got little thanks for that. Q. Think you it lawful to rise against a state that are not of your opinion? Will ye go to Bothwell again? These questions they gave him not leave to answer, but ordered him to be taken away, asking, if he was a captain at Bothwell? Which he assented to.

"

2. HIS FURTHER ANSWERS BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND CRIMINAL COURT

Being again examined before the whole Council, his answers, as detailed by himself, were as follows:-"Q. Was you at Bothwell, and a captain there? I answered as formerly. Q. Is Bothwell rebellion or not? A. No. It being for the defence of the harmless, who for hearing a preaching, and defending themselves, were in jeopardy to be cut off. They replied, The preaching was done. I said as before, The confession of faith contained in your Test, says, ' It is a good work to defend the life of the harmless.' Q. Then you approve of the Test; will you take it? A. I am not speaking of the Test, but of the confes sion of faith therein contained. Q. Think you it lawful to rise against the Magistrate? A. Will you condemn the reformation from popery carried on by John Knox? One said, We are not come here to answer questions, but to ask. I said, The answering of that to me would be a full answer by me, to your question. Then said Bishop Paterson, The reformation was good, but the way of carrying it on was ill, A. That is a marvellous thing, to think God would approve the actors in such actions, and yet the method be ill; and they to have a most solid peace in these actions, and to have such a mouth to defend it, as all the wits in their days could not be able to withstand,- -as will be clear to any that read the History of the Reformation. O, said one, he has read the History of the Reformation: ay, but you will not find it in Scripture, that the people may resist the prince; for then they take the Magistrate's part on them, and therein declare themselves to be above their prince. A. The people resisted Saul, and would not let him kill Jonathan, (1 Sam. xiv. 45.) The Bishop said, The people were in the wrong. A. The scripture never condemns the deed. Then they again urged that rising in arms is unlawful. I told, again, that Bishop Honeyman granted there might lawfully be a rising in arms, if the kingdom were alienated to strangers. The Bishop said, that would be a distracted act. Then they asked if the Bishop's death was murder? I answered, I would neither say it was, nor was not. Q. Do you own authority? A. Authority may be taken several ways; 1. For the simple command of the prince. 2. For the more public command of the prince and people. 3. For a power, a prince may be clothed with, by a people. 4. For a prince's right to govern. And in the first two senses, since many both of the prince's edicts, and public acts of parliament, are directly against presbyterians and presbyterian government,-to own it in these senses, I should deny myself to be a presbyterian. In the third sense, since the people have clothed the king with the headship of the Church, I cannot own that; because the eleventh article of the Confession of Faith, contained in the Test, says, That office belongs properly to Christ alone, and it is not lawful for man, or angel, to intrude therein.' As for the last sense of authority, his right to govern, I have not seen through the denial of it. Q. Will you venture your life on these things? A. My life is in God's hand. Then thev read what they had