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

260 LAST SPEECH AND TESTIMONY OF
necessitated,) to all the faithful testimonies of the godly, giv¬
en on scaffolds, and some other testimonies given in a hostile
manner, viz., the testimony given at Rutherglen, May 29th,
1679, and the declarations published at Lanark, in the years
1680 and 1682. I disown and testify against the declara¬
tion published at Hamilton, in the year 1679, particularly,
because it takes in the interest of Charles Stuart; for though
he was once a king, he is now a tyrant, by his cutting the
neck of the noble government established in this land, and
overturning the main and fundamental conditions, where¬
upon he was constituted, and it is notorious to all in this
kingdom, and I believe to some neighbouring nations also,
that he carries on a course contrary to the word of God,
and light of nature, and destructive to all Christian and hu¬
man society; yea, a course that very heathens would abhor,
even the thing itself, abstract from its aggravations.
I come now, in short, desiring ye may pardon omissions,
to let you know what I testify against. And, not to go
farther back—1. I leave my testimony against many minis¬
ters, for their leaving their Master’s work, at the simple
command of usurpers, as if they had been only the servants
of men; and I declare my disapprobation, yea, my testi¬
mony against the sinful silence of ministers, after they had
left the vineyard where their Master had placed them to
labour, and against their not acknowledging publicly their
unfaithfulness; for which, together with their other grievous
failings, the Lord is this day contending with them. I know
not what plagues are so sad, as being by the hand of God
laid aside from his work; I say, their unfaithfulness, in not
standing in the way of the people, when they were so gen¬
erally drawn away to hear curates. Mistake me not, think¬
ing that I look upon the people as innocent, when I speak
of the sins of the ministers; I see it my duty to testify against
both, and there will not one of them excuse another : but
remember that the ministers must count for the people who
perish through their default. 2. Against ministers for tam¬
pering with that woful and hell-hatched indulgence, ajid
more particularly, their accepting thereof. I testify against
the actual acceptors of it, and against a woful connivance
in the non-acceptors of the same ; whereas, there ought to
have been an open testifying and protesting against it. I
shall study to say but little, but I die in the faith of it, that