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

JAMES NI3BET.
the National and Solemn League and Covenants ; and they
declared before my face, that both their king and council
had disowned the Covenant, and had taken that away by
their acts of parliament; and said, that they were both un¬
just and unlawful. And shall such be owned and adhered
to, who have declared themselves against King Christ, and
have broken his laws, and have seated themselves in the
room of Jesus Christ, which belongs to no mortal man upon
earth, and much less to him who is a usurper and a tyrant.
I mean Charles Stuart. And here, I, as a dying witness,
leave my testimony against that monstrous beast; for our
Saviour calls Herod a fox, and says, “ Go tell that fox, I
work to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be
perfected.” 3. The chief ground of my sentence was, that
I disowned their authority. For since they had rejected
the covenant, I was the more clear to disown them to be
my judges or governors over the land ; and they asserted
it treasonable, because I said, none of the people of God
would say otherwise. And, in plain terms and direct words,
I deny them to have any power to rule either in civil or
ecclesiastical matters. Also these avowed enemies who are
thirsting for my blood, charged me with going up and down
the country plundering and murdering, and so by their law
made me liable to punishment, even to the loss of my life;
but I, who am within a little to appear before the righteous
Judge, declare that I never intended to wrong any man.
And so it is evident they take away my life upon the account
of adhering to truth, and I bless the Lord that ever he
gave me a life to lay down for him, and that ever he counted
me worthy to suffer for his persecuted truth. O matchless
free grace that is making choice of the like of me, and poor
weak things, to confound the strong: and foolish things to
confound the wise.
Now, there are three classes I would speak a word to.
1. Those that had begun in the way of the Lord, and seem¬
ingly had gone a good length, but when the storm of per¬
secution arose, for fear of the rough sea of trouble, have
drawn back. O mind that word in Heb. x. 38, “ But if any
man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him
and Rom. viii. 35, “ Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ 1 shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or fam¬
ine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ?” &c. 2. Those who are