Religion & morality > Cloud of witnesses, for the royal prerogatives of Jesus Christ

138
The loft Speech and Tejlmony
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to be examined by Mr. Riddel, at the council’s Ordei
So we came down, and were brought to the weft fide <
the houfe, to an empty room, where they brought hinj
into us: The goodman of the tolbooth being prefencl
and the keepers, and fome gentlemen with them, ano
they caufed us fit down. The goodman of the tolbootl
faid, Mr. Riddel, the council caufed me bring you tc
confer with thefe women, to fee if ye can bung them
to repentance. Then we protefted, and faid, As for re¬
pentance, we know not what fault we have done: Ther
laid they, You cannot be the worfe to have one of youi
minifters to confer with. We told them, Thefe mini-
fters being their fervants, we looked no more upon them
as minifters of Jefus Chrift; and therefore he is no mini-
fter to uS. Mr. Riddel afked, if the council would fend
Mr. Cargil to us, would we not confer with him? We
faid, He was not at their command; but if Mr. Cargil
would do as ye and the reft of you have done, we would
do the like with him. So he offered to pray; We faid,
We were not clear to join with him in prayer. He faid,
Wherefore? We faid, We know the ftrain of your pray¬
ers will be like your difeourfe. He faid, I thall not men¬
tion any of your principles in my prayer, but only de-f
fire the Lord to let you fee the evil of your doings. We,
told him, We defired none of his prayers at all. They
faid, Would we not be content to hear him? We faidJ
Forced prayers had no virtue. Then we faid, What I
means he to pray with us more than he did with our
brethren that have gone before us? Mr. Riddel faid,I
Mr. Skeen converfed with Mr Robert Rofs We faid,'
He did not fend for him, but he intruded himfelf upon
him. The goodman of the tolbooth faid, He converfed
with Mr Meldrum ; and we fmiled at that, and faid, He
might talk to him of his perjury, but for no other thing.
So they urged prayer again. We faid, it would be a mock¬
ing of God. They faid, Why fo? We faid, Becaufe
we cannot join in it. So Mr. Riddel began to debate
with us, and faid, We would not find it in all the ferip-
ture, nor any hiftory, to difown the civil magiftrate.
We anfwered, There were never fuch magiftrates feen
as we have. Pie inftanced Manafleh, who made the
Jireets of Jerufalem to run -with the blood of the prophets.