f e for lec free the c A: divific fcp th at leng ed by i in Dece they ha miffon military, nanted I fion of tl them, b gif t reateft part did, whereby all degrees of perfons through he land were miferably involved in the breach of coveant, and defections of the time. Nay, the wickedels of this period came to fuch a pitch, that our ational covenant, and the folemn league, were ordered public authority to be moft ignominiously burnt at eral market-croffes, to the fearful difhonouring of great tremenduous God, with whom thefe covenants e made. After some time's filence, the ejected minifters began e convinced it was their duty to preach the gospel, e earnest defire of their people, who declined to the curates who were thrust in upon them, though y harraffed for it; and that they ought to preach, ithstanding the prohibitions of the magistrate, eflly when they faw what fort of men were thrust on the people. At first they had worship only in e houfes in the most peaceable and harmless manbut the cruel prelates and rulers would not bear any fuch meetings; fo that at length, by their ies, they were driven from heufes to the fields re fafety. But ftill feverer laws were made against h meetings, whether in the houfes or fields. hey came even to that height to enact, Charl. II. Seff. 2. 1670, "That if any man fhall preach in the fields, or in any houfe, where there fhall e hearers than the house contains, fo as fome of e without doors, he thall be punished with death fifcation of goods." So that, by this terrible o or three hearkening at honeft men's doors or 's in time of family-worthip, though posted it of malice or mere curiofity, did expofe the pers of God to a cruel death. Thefe and fuch s tended to banish family worship out of the A were too successful that way. Likewife fevere ents were enacted against the hearers of ejected 8, and these who did not hear the parith minir employed others to baptife their children. y proceeded to incredible barbarities against ormifts, both minifters and people. Yet, in el perfecuting times, the Lord gave teftimony to and a good number of minifters in the provinces of Perth and Fife, as appears by their teftimonies published in the year 1659. Soon after this, the yoke of the oppreffor was broken, and the king peaceably restored in the year 1660, to the joy of the whole land, who thereupon expected good days both to church and state. (And, alas, the moft part went to dreadful excess in jollity and drunkenness upon this event.) But, ah! foon was their joy tarned to mourning, foon was their oppreffion in conscience doubled, the late glorious work of reformation razed, and all its carved work broke down with axes and hammers, as it were, all at once. For king Charles II. after his restoration, having called a Parliament in England, they restored abjured Prelacy with the fervice book and ceremonies, which had been laid afide: whereupon about two thoufand minifters there, who could not in confcience conform thereunto, were caft out at Bartholomew day, August 24th 1662. He likewife called a Parliament in Scotland, who in the years 1661 and 1662, removed all the legal fecurities of the Church of Scotland, and work of reformation therein. By that unparalleled act reciffory, they annulled all the Parliaments which had met from 1640 to 1654; they afferted the king's fupremacy in all caufes, civil and ecclefiaftic, and declared all meetings and affemblies, leagues and covenants, without the king's authority, to be unlawful and unwarrantable, and devolved the power of fettling the government of the church upon the king; they declared the national covenant, as fworn in the year 638, and the folemn league and covenant to be unlawful oaths, and all men to be free from the obligation of them; and they declared all that was done from 1638 to 1650, in profecution of a covenanted reformation, to be rebellious and treasonable. The king's prerogative and fupremacy in church-affairs being thus fcrewed up, he by a proclamation declared his royal pleasure to be for reftoring the government of the church by archbishops and bishops, as it was exercifed in the year 1637. In the mean time Mr James Sharp, minifter at Crail (who had formerly been en trufted trufted to act for the church, but now betrayed her) went to London with other three ministers, and were confecrated bishops in the Prelatic fenfe, having first been ordained deacons, and after that Prefbyters, according to the form of the church of England. (This the Prelates fet up by king James VI would not submit to). Thereafter thefe, returning from London to Edinburgh, confecrated the rest of the bishops. Then they all took their feats in parliament, where they got new acts made in their favours, commanding all mi nifters to obey them, and attend their Diocefan meetings. A little before this, the meetings of Synods, Prefbyteries, and Kirk-feflions, had been difcharged by the privy council, until they fhould be authorised by the bishops, who were foon to enter upon the government of their refpective fees: Whereupon, at the time of the meeting of provincial fynods in April thereafter, feveral noblemen and gentlemen were fent to raise them by force. It is to be regretted, that fynods at this time fo readily difmiffed, and that Presbyteries and kirk-seffions were deferted alfo, without any fu'tible teítimony or remonstrance against these fearful encroachments and alterations One thing that contributed much to hinder any joint teftimony, and to strike terror into many, was the fevere treatment which fome faithful minifters met with, when effaying a teftimony of this fort: For Mr James Guthrie, minifter at Stirling, with fome few other minifters, having met in a private houfe in Edinburgh, foon after the king's return, to draw up a fupplication to him, wherein, after congratulating his return, they' humbly put him in mind of his oaths unto and covenants with God, for maintaining the true Proteftant religion, as eftablished by acts of parliament and general affembly, &c. for this they were apprehended and imprisoned 23d August 1660, and all fuch meetings and petitions were discharged as feditious. And, to trike the greater terror, Mr James Guthrie was indicted before the parliament of high treafon; and, being fingularly faithful and zealous for carrying on reformation, he was condemned to die, and his head to be set upon one one of the ports of the city of Edinburgh. He was accordingly execute the 1ft of June 1661, and his head fet up on the Nether-bow port, which continued there till the revolution, as a public witnefs against the woeful defections of a cruel perfidious generation. Likewife the worthy and renowned marquis of Argyle was five days before executed upon the fame account, and his head fet up upon the tolbooth of Edinburgh, to the great reproach of the nation; and fometime after Lord Wariftoun fuffered in the fame manner; three eminently great and good men, who died with the refolution and Christianity of the ancient martyrs. Now, what could be expected from a reign and a government whofe foundation was laid in cruelty, and foaked with the precious blood of God's faints? After this the parliament and council went on in their cruel and perfecuting defigns against faithful minifters who would not conform to antifcriptural Prelacy, take presentations from patrons, and collations from bishops, and alfo take an oath to the king, which they called an oath of allegiance, wherein they behoved to own his fupremacy in all cafes civil and ecclefiaftic: fome of thefe minifters they banished out of all his Majefty's dominions: thefe generally went to Holland, and were kindly received there. Befides thefe, several hundreds were fummarily ordered to leave their churches, and remove from their congregations: With which orders (it must be owned) they did too eafily comply, merely upon proclamations by the council, before they were thruft out by force; thereby leaving their poor flocks to corrupt teachers that were afterwards thruft in upon them, and not giving a due tef timony against fuch a tyrannical act and incroachment upon the fpiritual kingly power and headfhip of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who is the only Lord of our miniftry, and of the exercife thereof. Likewife, by act of parliament, all the fubjects were required to attend thofe who were thrust into their parishes, and other conformists, in their meetings for worship, and that in acknowledgment of, and hearty compliance with his Majefty's government ecclefiaftic; which indeed the far greatest |