purchased their freedom at a dear rate. And I give my testimony against the paying of that cess, and all other sinful bonds and ties contrary to scripture and our former covenants, But being straitened with time, I refer you to a general testimony subscribed by us all, wherein all our minds are more fully expressed. I bid farewell to all my dear friends, farewell all earthly comforts, and welcome Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to whom be glory for ever. Amen. Sic Sub.-JAMES WOOD" 3. ANDREW SWORD. "Men and Brethren,-Although I be a man of small learning, yet I cannot be altogether silent, since it hath pleased the Most High, wise and holy Lord, to single me out, and call for a public testimony to his cause, work, and persecuted interest; not only borne down by avowed enemies, but, which is now disowned, even by many professors; when it is come to that, they must either seal the cause with their blood, or else break the covenant, and turn their back on Christ and his cause, to which they were and are solemnly engaged in the sight of God; so that I desire that what I am wanting in my written testimony, I may supply by my sufferings and death: which, though for his sake I lay it down, yet I trust not in my own death, but in the mercies and blood of Jesus Christ, who hath purchased and promised the crown of life unto all those, whom through his strength, he keeps faithful unto the death, Rev. ii. 10., and especially in such an hour of temptations as we have been trysted with; and I count his assisting grace, in helping me to stand, when stronger than I, have yielded, yea, and made me rejoice in that he hath chosen poor me, one amongst the few that are honoured to confess and avow him and his truth in such a time and manner: I say, I am confident, it is a token for good to them and me, and I take it in earnest of that crown of life, which I am hopeful to enjoy, ere long, through all eternity, that neither can be lost by me now, nor robbed from me by the wicked men of this generation, who now unjustly rob me of my life and liberty; for I believe I go, where most part of them shall never come. I bless the Lord, I suffer not as an evil-doer, although I be judged and condemned of men for my being in arms, and joining with that little handful, that appeared in the fields in defence of Christ, his cause and interest, as we are bound to do by the word of God, and by our covenants; they call it rebellion against his majesty, but by that way which they call rebellion (or which is called heresy by others) we worship the God of our fathers. And he who is the Searcher of hearts knows, that it was not rebellion against the great and living God and his Naphtali, pp. 468–470. Andrew Sword was by trade a Weaver, and belonged to the parish of Borgue in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. With regard to his motives in joining the insurrection, the reader may consult his testimony. But that he was there, he seems to have confessed judicially, along with Brown, Waddel, and Clyde. It is scarcely necessary to add, that with all the other four he was entirely guiltless of the Primate's death, and was not even charged with it in the indictment. Christ. And if Samuel were living now, when so many of our teachers are so silent, he could tell them that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. And I dare venture to say, though no prophet, that we are not the troublers of Israel, but the king and his family, and the wicked Hamans, the railing Rabshakehs, the wicked Doegs, the false and unfaithful prophets, these are the greatest troublers of our Israel. Therefore, let them read Lam. ii. 6, 7. And he hath violently taken away his tabernacles, as if it were of a garden; he hath destroyed his palaces of the assembly; the Lord hath caused the solemn feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest: the Lord hath cast off his altar; he hath abhorred his sanctuary; he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces,' &c. And ver. 9. Her gates are sunk into the ground, he hath destroyed and broken her bars; her king and her princes are among the Gentiles; the law is no more, her prophets also find no vision from the Lord.' And I bless his name that ever I was a man to carry arms upon that account. I here declare, that I rue it not, although I be condemned to die for it. I bless the Lord who hath counted me worthy to die for so good and so honourable a cause, who am but a poor, feckless, worthless, sinful creature. "And now, my friends, since he hath honoured me with such a piece of honour, as to have been shut up in prison for a while, and after that, now sentenced to death by men; and in all this time the Lord hath supported me beyond what I can express: wherefore, ye may hear and see, that they fare best that venture farthest for Christ. Therefore I pray you in his name, scare not at his cross; for when to your eye and sense it seems to be most bitter, yet even then, he can make it most sweet. I can tell this by experience: Now, for ever and for ever blessed be his name for it. Now, will ye wrestle honestly under his yoke, and he will not only bear the heavy end of it, but he will help you under your end of it. And indeed, when I was first shut up in close prison, I was somewhat dejected and cast down, upon several accounts; but, blessed be his name, my last time was better, and more sweet to me, than my first time. Although I was sentenced to die, I hope I am not condemned in the court of heaven, for that which men have condemned me on earth. The cause is righteous, lawful, just, and good; yet I know it is not enough to justify me in God's sight, that I had a good cause; it is the having of Christ's righteousness imputed to me, and received by faith alone, that must do that. I declare I put not my hand to that work to gain any honour, or reputation to myself, but in singleness and sincerity of heart, I came unto the service, not constrained by any man, but from conscience of my being engaged by covenant unto God; and as under the name of a Christian, so to own the work and interest of Jesus Christ; although I had never the occasion to swear the covenant with an uplifted hand, yet I hold myself as deeply engaged in it, as if I had done it; and I declare my appearing with that persecuted handful in the fields, was to do the utmost of my power, for the down-bearing of abjured prelacy, and prelates, and papists, and all other enemies of our Lord; and to testify not only against them, but all other errors, and sects, and sectaries whatsoever, but even the defections and sinful compliance of the indulged, and others defending them. All which is made daily more clear to be contrary to the word of God, and our sworn covenants. And I declare my appearing, as it was to testify against all them that have wronged our Lord, his kirk and people, so also, to endeavour to my power, the restoring again the pure ordinances to their former power and purity, and to recover the church in this land (which Jesus Christ hath purchased at so dear a rate) to her former beauty, which is now defaced and broken down in these lands, by perjured prelates and their underlings; and alas! disowned even by many ministers and professors, Ezek. xiii. 10—12. 'Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace, and there was no peace and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar,' &c. And ver. 19. And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley, and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people, that hear your lies?' &c. -Who have declared by their apostasy and compliance, that they love their life and gear better than Christ and his cause; either of the which they were and are bound to maintain and own, even to the ' resisting unto blood, striving against sin.' Alas! alas! to see professors, who once professed to know so much of Christ and his truth; and that they have declared, in the sight of enemies,-that they durst not trust precious Christ, and his worthy and precious promises, by their joining and complying with the enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ. These things have they done by taking the bond to procure their life; but, truly the less wonder that poor people have done it, when not only threatened by enemies, but counselled and driven to it by ministers: Oh! the leaders of my people have caused them to err.' Therefore read Jer. xii. 9. Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.' 10. Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.' And ver. 11. They have made it desolate, and being desolate, it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.' And ver. 12. The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness; for the sword of the Lord shall devour,' &c. and no flesh shall have peace.' And when I think on that of Hos. ii. from ver. 1-8., I shall now heartily pray, and I pray you, plead with your mother church, the bulk of ministers and professors, that they would acknowledge their defection, mourn for it, and return to the Lord; and if they will not hear you, nor believe and lay weight upon our words, though men dying, witnessing against their present practices, as well as against our aboveboard and avowed enemies, I pray you, if they will not turn, let all pray, that the Lord himself may hedge up their way with thorns, and make a wall that they may not find their paths. And indeed it seems, that word hath little weight with or upon them, which Christ bath 6 Ver. said, He that seeks to save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.' And if any would ask at me what I think of the cross, when it is at the heaviest, I can answer them very well that question. I think it an easy and sweet cross; and I bless His name that ever He made me take it up and follow him. Now, because we are straitened for time to get any thing of a testimony left particular enough, to mention all things we are now clear of, and would be at, as duty to you; and all things in us, our fathers, our prince, our nobles, ministers and all ranks, that are provoking in His sight, and the causes of God's wrath on the land, I refer you to the joint and more general testimony agreed to, and subscribed by us all, as our minds together; and desire the Lord may deal and prevail with the hearts of all such, on whom our death or words, 'tis like, will not prevail, that he may pour forth his Spirit from on high upon us while in time, and on you that remain, that ye may look on him whom ye have pierced, and mourn until he return: for, I hope ere long to rejoice in that I have been mourning, and now suffering, for that which others dare bless God for as a mercy, and rejoice in ;—that is, the first and now late favours, both indulgencies and indemnities, and other things which the wicked are but spreading in your way as snares, and it is too true, that bribes blind the eyes of the wise. Therefore, I beg the Spirit of truth may lead you into all truth; and bidding farewell to all friends, being willing to leave all, to enjoy Christ, to whom I recommend my spirit. Sic Sub.-ANDREW SWORD.* 4. JOHN WADDEL.t "Men and Brethren,-It may be thought by some, that the cause of my death by suffering, is but a thing indifferent in some respect; but the Lord knoweth that my intention is, and was, from the first day I appeared in open war, against all those that were fighting against Christ and his cause, from the thought and deep sense of my duty to appear in hazard of my life, and goods, and all I had in the world,-to defend and maintain Jesus Christ and his cause. And now we are condemned as guilty of death, and held by them as rebellious, to appear for the interest of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and they have condemned him, to have no right to govern his church and ecclesiastical affairs, which we are bound by the word of God and covenants, to own and avow in spite of all that will say the contrary, without respect of persons. It is true, I am bound to maintain all lawful Naphtali, pp. 471-476. + Of John Waddel our information is equally scanty as of the three previously mentioned individuals. He was, according to the designation to his testimony, as given in Naphtali, from the parish of Newmonkland, in Lanarkshire. But in Appendix, No. xxxiii. to the second volume of Wodrow's History, we have the following notice of him as of some others of the five. "John Waddel, in the parish of Shotts, acknowledges the Rebellion to have been a rebellion, but denies the Archbishop's murder to be sinful." How far this accords with his testimony, we leave the reader to judge for himself. authority, as it is agreeable to his word; and to obey the king, as far as he maintains the church in her liberty, and no further on any accounts; we are also bound to maintain and own him in holding out foreign nations; but if he be against God, then we are bound to stand in defence of the church, in all that belongs to the true worship and fear of God, and to do our utmost to the bearing down defection and profanity, and all those things that are contrary to our solemn engagement in the National and Solemn League and Covenant; and as he hath bound us in his word, and commanded us to lay down our lives for his cause and interest, he hath also said, He that seeks to save his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for the gospel, shall save it.' And I have this to say, that I declare I am not worthy to receive the least honour of a testimony, because I am the least, and less than the least of all those that have appeared for his cause, at this time, or at any time have appeared for his cause and truth: for I am, as Jacob said, less than the least of all God's mercies; but I have this to say, to the commendation of free love and mercy that he hath made that as clear to me, as the sun shineth, that if I had yielded at that time, when I was called in question for him and his truths, that he should have disowned me, for doing that, in my greatest strait. And on the other hand, I was fast and sure, that the Lord would own me, if I owned him; for he says, ' He that contends with you, I will contend with him; wherefore I have ground to lay hold upon the promises, yet not I, but the grace of God in me, and the love of him that died, and rose again from the dead in his own strength, and now lives for ever. "I bear my testimony against all those that have declared themselves open enemies against Christ, and against the work of reformation ;which cause many profess they are owning, and yet denying a part of the truth to be truth; but well, let them remember that word, 'Wo to them that call good evil, and evil good.' "Next, I bear my testimony against all that say, I might have abode at home, and served God: but I grant that is true, if I had been clear of it, and joined with indulgents. It is true, I acknowledge I once heard them, but now I am sorry for the thing I have done therein : but for their persons, the Lord knows, I have no ill will at them: but upon the other hand, some will say, although I went out, yet now I might have taken the bond, and saved my life, and done as other men did; but I have reason to bless the Lord, that has borne in that upon my heart so clearly, as to see the evil of it, from the beginning of it, and now I declare it, at the end of the time I have to be here-away. "Next, I bear my testimony against that tax so unlawfully imposed against the people, for it was only to maintain that party, who were setting themselves with all their might against the work and worship of God, because it was in power and purity, and because it was not agreeable to profanity, as they would have had it, therefore they persecute that work and despise it, because it looks so like God, and they so like the devil; and they hate the people of God, because they hate God, and all that are like him, for this is the reason of our being condemned, because we had something of the fear of God; and I |