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

310
LAST SPEECH AND TESTIMONY OF
found upon the crosses and kirk-doors, and asked if I knew
it ? I answered, how should I know what is in that paper 1
The duke having it in his hand, the rest of the council re- J
quested him read it to me ; he read some lines of it, and then
said to the rest, it would take a long time to read. They
offered to give it to me to read, and promised me time to
consider it, if I would give my judgment of it. A. I will j
not have it, neither will I be judge of papers. Own ye the j
king’s authority, as it is now established ? A. L own all 1
authority agreeable to the word of God. Will ye own
this paper or not? A. I knoyv not what is in that paper. ;
Then they said, To be short with you, own ye the covenants j
and Presbyterian principles? A. I own the covenants j
and Presbyterian principles, with my whole heart. Then j
said they, So, that is a frank and free fellow. Then they j
caused, take me away for a while; and when I was brought
before them again, they said, come and declare the truth,
and give your oath, what you know concerning the contrivers ;
and publishers of these papers 1 A. I am not bound to wrong
my neighbours, neither will I give an oath. After some
questions and answers, the chancellor said, He should make |
me do it, or make me as small as snuff. I answered, some¬
times the persecutors have caused the saints to blaspheme. |
The bishop’s brother, said I was a liar, for the Scripture says !
no such thing. I said, it says the same thing, and told him j|
wl’.^re the passage was. They again caused take me away ; j
and a little after brought me before them the third time, and .
pressed upon me again to declare ; I utterly refused. They !!
then caused the executioner to take me a little back, and made
me sit down with my back to the bar, and put on the thumb- |
kins upon my thumbs, until I fell into a swoon: when I re- ; j
covered, they were standing about, looking upon me, and >
bidding me rise, which I did. Then some of them asked |j
what I would say to the chancellor now ? I answered, I j
would say nothing to him. They then took me to the !
town-tolbooth, to the iron-house.
Now, I desire to bless the Lord, that he kept me; for j
in the time of the torture I spake not a word good or bad,
but got it borne, until I fell into a swoon. All their coun¬
tenances dashed me nothing; for I did not fear their faces,
nor the faces of hundreds, who were gazing upon me, from j
about eleven o’clock, till seven o’clock in the afternoon. j