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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APPENDIX,
them, because of his faithfulness, he came to the south, and hating met
with the Her. John Welch, he stayed in bis company a considerable time;
who, finding him a man qualified for the ministry, pressed upon him to re¬
ceive a license to preach, which he refused for some time, chiefly upon this
reason, that he having such clear discoveries of the sinfulness ef the indul¬
gence, could not but testify against it explicitly, so soon as he should have
opportunity to preach in public ; and considering that none of the ejected
ministers, who had been of standing and experience in the ministry, had yet
expressly declared the sinfulness thereof in public, he was afraid that his
being singular in it, considering his youth, and his being but newly entered
upon the work of the ministry, might perhaps make his doctrine the less
useful and weighty to the people. But the force of this objection being re¬
moved by Mr, Welch’s serious solicitations, he was prevailed with to accept
a license from some of the ejected ministers, who had not complied with the
indulgence, and were as yet preaching the gospel in the fields. And having
preached occasionally with Mr. Welch and others, in several places of the
western shires, and finding the people warmed and affected with his doc¬
trine, by the good hand of God blessing the word, he adventured sometimes,
as the Lord assisted him, to be express and clear in declaring the sinfulness
of the indulgence, and of joining with the acceptors thereof; whereupon
the ministers who had licensed him to preach, conceiving it prudent not to
be so explicit enent that step of compliance, began to prosecute him with
censure for his freedom in preaching against it; and called three several
meetings upon that account; one at Dun sc ore in Nithsdale, another at Den-
dough in Galloway, and a third at Edinburgh.
After his return from Holland, where he received ordination to the exer¬
cise of the ministry, he went to some of those ejected ministers, inviting
them and pressing them much to come out and preach in the fields, as they
had done before the overthrow at Bothwell. But the persecution being then
very hot against all such as had not accepted the indulgence and indemnity,
they refused to adventure upon that hazard. Wherefore, notwithstanding
such sad discouragements from professed friends, and violent persecutions
by the declared enemies of the reformation, he adventured, upon all hazard,
to preach publicly in the fields, in order to discharge the dispensation of the
gospel, which the Lord had entrusted him ijrith ; and continued so doing,
till he sealed that cause and testimony with his blood ; being, after some
valiant resistance in his own defence, killed by a party of soldiers, under
the command of Earlsbal, and his head and hand, cut off by one Robert
Murray, were brought and laid before the council, who ordered them to be
placed upon the Netherbow-port, Edinburgh.
The following hand of mutual defence, teas found on him when he was killed;
subscribed by him, his brother Michael Cameron, Archibald Stewart, John
Potter, and several others:—
We, under subscribers, bind and oblige ourselves to be faithful to God, and
true to one another, and to all others who shall join with us in adhering to
Rutherglen Testimony, and disclaiming the Hamilton Declaration, chiefly,
because it takes in the king’s interest, which we are loosed from by reason
of his perfidy and covenant-breaking, both to the most High God, and the
people over whom he was set, under the terms of his propagating the main
ends of the covenants ; to wit, the reformation of religion ; and instead of
that, usurping to himself the royal prerogatives of Jesus Christ, and en¬
croaching upon the liberties of the church ; and so stating himself, both in
opposition to Jesus Christ the Mediator, and the free government of his house.