Life and diary of Lieut. Col. J. Blackader

46 LIFE OF COL. BLACKADEIt. CHAP. II.
Prince of Orange's expedition, we owned his High-
ness' quarrel, when the Prelatic Faction were in arms
to oppose his coming to help us. We prayed openly
for the success of his arms, when, in all the churches,
the prayers were for his ruin. We associated our-
selves to contribute what we could to the promoting
of his interest, and were the first that declared a de-
sire to engage for him, and under him ; while they
were associating with, and for his enemies. But
before we offered to he soldiers, we first made an offer
to he subjects. We made a voluntary tender of our
subjection in a peculiar petition by ourselves." *
This petition was addressed to the Meeting of Estates
of the Kingdom of Scotland, the Noblemen, Barons,
and Burgesses, assembled at Edinburgh, for establish-
ing the government, restoring the religion, laws, and
liberties of the said Kingdom. After a brief statement
of their sufferings, and the reasons why they refused
to own allegiance to King James, they proceed : —
" We prostrate ourselves, yet sorrowing under
the smart of our still bleeding wounds, at your
Honours' feet, who have a call, a capacity, and we
hope, a heart to heal them: And we offer this our
humble petition, enforced, By all the formerly felt,
presently seen, and, for the future, feared effects and
efforts of Popery and tyranny : By the cry of the
blood of our murdered brethren : By the slavery of
the banished free-born subjects of this realm : By all
the miseries that many forfeited, disinherited, harrassed
and wasted families have been reduced to, for adhering
* " Memorial of sufferings and grievances of the Presbyterians ia
Scotland, particularly of those nicknamed Cameronians,"