Religion & morality > Cloud of witnesses, for the royal prerogatives of Jesus Christ, or, The last speeches and testimonies of those who suffered for the truth in Scotland, in the years 1681-1688, with an appendix, containing the Queensferry paper, Torwood excommunications, &c

DAVID HACKSTOUN OP RATHILLET.
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illet, 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. Andrew’s, 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, adhering 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, dited 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 instruments,
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. Andrew’s, and requires
Messrs. John Vas, James Balfour, and the men of the court,
witnesses to the aforesaid declaration.—Sir Robert Maitland,
James Foulis,DavidBalfour,DavidFalconer, Rodger Hodge.
Upon Friday, July 30th, being again brought before the
council, he was asked, if he had any other thing to say ?
He answered, That which I have said I will seal. He was
then commanded to sit down and receive his sentence,
which he did, telling them they were all bloody murderers;
that the power they had was derived from tyranny; and that
these years by-past 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. He was then hurried to
the scaffold, at the Market Cross of Edinburgh, where he
suffered death by the most cruel torture. As he was not
permitted to speak from the scaffold, the only testimony he
has left is contained in the following letters.