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

96
LAST SPEECH AND TESTIMONY OF
we have. He instanced Manasseh, who made the streets of
Jerusalem to run with the blood of the prophets. We said*
it was a question if he went the length in perjury. He
instaneed Joash. We answered, he was but a child when
that covenant was sworn* and it was not so with those he
now pleaded for. He then instaneed Nero, how he set the
city on fire, and robbed the churches; and yet notwithstand¬
ing, the Apostle exhorteth submission to the magistrates
then in being. We answered it was in the Lord,, and as
they were a terror to evil doers. He' said, although they
were wicked, yet they should not be altogether cast off. We
said, before their excommunication we would not have been
so clear to cast them off. He said* there were only seven
in the excommunication, then why cast at all the rest? We
answered, these seven carried the great sway* and the rest
came in under them. He said, how can one man take upon-
him to draw out the sword of excommunication, for the like
was never heard tell of in any generation ? We answered,
why not one man, since there were no more faithful, and
the church hath power to east out scandalous persons, be
they high, be they low. He said, who is the church ? We
said, if there was a true church in the world, that little hand¬
ful was one, though never so insignificant; of which hand¬
ful, we own ourselves a part: and though our blood go *in
the quarrel, yet we hope it will be the foundation of a new
building, and of a lively church.
He asked, thought we all the ministers wrong ? We an¬
swered, we desire to forbear, and' not to add * for we desire
not to speak of ministers’ faults; and we desired him to for¬
bear, and let us be gone ; but he urged his discourse, and
fell on upon the papers that were taken at the Queensferry,
chiefly on that part of them, “when God gives them power*
it is a just law to execute justice upon- all persons that are
guilty.” And he came to us, and kid by his coat, and said,
would ye stab me with a knife in my breast, even now ?
We smiled, and said, we never murdered any. But, said
he, they swore to do so. We answered, why did he not
debate these things with men, and not with lasses ? for we
told him, we never studied debates. He asked again*
thought we all the ministers wrong? We answered* they
were wrong, and forbade him to put us to it, to speak of
ministers’ faults; for if he knew what we had to say of them*