Diary of Alexander Jaffray, provost of Aberdeen

XVUl INTKODUCTION.
patience of the saints ? For, indeed, it is but a small glory to
make a virtue of necessity, and suffer because I cannot help it.
Every thief and murderer is a martyr, at that rate ; experience
hath abundantly proved this in these last centuries.'"
Having thus cleared his way, this author proceeds to show,
that the true ground of persecution is, an unwillingness to
suffer ; " for," says he, " no man that would persecute another
for his conscience, would suffer for his own, if he could avoid
it; seeing, his principle obliges him, if Tie had power, by
force to establish that which he judges is the Truth, and so to
force others to it." With these preliminary remarks, may be
introduced the succeeding important sentiments ; and, though
written before the time when Friends in Scotland had to endure
a large portion of their ill-treatment, they are, nevertheless,
equally and very specially applicable to the troubles, which so
quickly after came upon them. " Therefore I judge it meet,
briefly to add something in this place concerning the nature of
true Christian sufferings ; whereunto a very faithful testimony
has been borne by God's witnesses, whom he hath raised up in
this age, — beyond what has been generally known or practised
for these many generations, yea, since the apostasy took place.
Yet, it is not my design here, in any wise to derogate from the
sufferings of the Protestant martyrs ; whom I believe to have
walked towards God, according to the dispensation of light in
that day appearing ; and of whom, many were utter enemies to
persecution, as by their testimonies against it might be made
appear.
" But the true, faithful, and Christian suffering, is, for men
to profess what they are persuaded is right, and so practise
and perform their worship towards God, as being their true
right so to do; and neither to do more in that, because of
outward encouragement from men, nor any whit less, because
of the fear of their laws and acts against it. Thus, for a
Christian man to vindicate his just liberty, with so much bold-
ness and yet innocency, will in due time, though through
blood, purchase peace ; as this age has in some measure ex-