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

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LAST SPEECH AND TESTIMONY OF
in hell. I answered, That was not in his power. Are ye
under an oath that ye will not tell on the rest of you ? A.
I am under no oath but what the Covenant binds us to.
Took ye ever the communion ? A. No. Did ye ever
preach, or expound the Scriptures ? A. I could never read
the Rudiments. Yet, said they, there were men who did
preach, that were not learned. I told them I knew none
but the Quakers, whose principles I disowned. Then said
they, say, “ God save the King.” I answered, It was not
in my power to save or condemn him. Would you not say,
God save your beast, if it were fallen into a hole ? A. No ;
because it is a taking of his name in vain. Were you at
Bothwell, at the rebellion ? A. Seeing ye count it rebellion,
it is criminal, witness of it. Is the bishop’s death murder ?
A. I am not a judge to cognosce upon it. And being asked
again my opinion of it, I answered, I had said all that I
could say of it already. Was Bothwell rebellion ? I an¬
swered, it was self-defence, which was lawful. How prove
ye that ? A. By that Confession upon which ye build your
test. Then they said, jeeringly, I was a grammarian.
Own ye a law? A. Yes. Own ye the law as it is now
established ? A. Since ye make your questions matters of
life and death, ye ought to give time to consider upon them.
Own ye the king in all matters, civil and ecclesiastical,
to be head of the church ? A. I will acknowledge none to
be head of the church but Christ. Who is lawgiver ? A.
Christ. Is the king the king, or not ? A. He was once a
covenanted king. Is he the king now ? A. I refer it to
his obligations in his coronation oath, to be considered. Is
he your king or not ? I told them I would not answer any
more such questions at this time. This is all that passed, for
the most part, except a number of senseless questions. No
more at present. Give my love to all friends in Christ. I
am very well borne through, blessed be the Lord for it.
John Nisbet.
His Last Testimony.
Dear Friends, and True Lovers of Zion’s Righteous
Cause,—If I could speak or write any thing to the com¬
mendation of the covenanted God of the church and king¬
dom of Scotland, surely I have many reasons to do so. 1.
That he has trysted my lot to be in a nation where he hath