At this the curate interrupting him said, that the Lord had a work before that covenant had a being, and that he judged them apostates who adhered to that covenant; and that he wished that not only the Lord would forgive him (Mr Guthrie,) but if it were lawful to pray for the dead—at which expression the officers and soldiers burst into laughter—that the Lord would forgive the sin of this church these hundred years bygone. “It is true,” answered Mr Guthrie, “the Lord had a work before the covenant had a beginning, but it is as true that it hath been more glorious since that covenant; and it is a small thing for us to be judged of you in adhering to that covenant, who have so deeply corrupted your ways, and seem to reflect on the whole work of reformation from popery these hundred years bygone, by intimating that the church had need of pardon for the same.” Then directing himself to the soldiers—“As for you, gentlemen, I wish the Lord may pardon you for countenancing of this man in this business.” “I wish we may never do a greater fault,” answered one of them scoffing. “A little sin may damn a man’s soul,” Mr Guthrie gravely replied. He then called for a glass of ale, and, after craving a blessing, drank to the officers, who, having been civilly entertained, quietly left the house and went to the church, where the curate executed his office without disturbance, except from a few boys, whom the soldiers easily chased away.[[44]]
[44]. This account of Mr Guthrie’s deposition is translated from a paper drawn up at the time by himself, and preserved by Wodrow; and it exemplifies a conduct in all respects becoming a Christian minister. Mr Blackadder’s is of a similar description; and, had we equally authentic and particular relations of the proceedings in other cases, I have no doubt a majority would be found not less worthy of our cordial approbation. Obedience to lawful authority, where it did not interfere with duty to God, was both inculcated and exemplified by the covenanters. Frequently the violent and outrageous conduct of the soldiers caused tumults, and sometimes the natural and honest feelings of the people got the better of their prudence, but all was charged upon the covenanters; and when provoked past human endurance, if they expressed only a just resentment, they were seditious despisers of lawful authority! as if it had been impossible for lawful authority ever to become tyrannical, and so tyrannical, as to release men from their obligations to obey.
Another instance was, Andrew Donaldson of Dalgetty, described “as singular for a heavenly and spiritual temper,” and one who had also been much blessed in his ministry. Through the interest of the Earl of Dunfermline, Lord Privy Seal, he had been allowed to continue in his parish till this year, when the Earl being called to London, Archbishop Sharpe urged the Bishop of Dunkeld to depose him. He accordingly summoned Mr Donaldson to attend his clerical duty under pain of suspension; but, for reasons similar to those of Mr Guthrie, he declined attending the presbyteries or owning the bishop’s authority, and was in consequence (October 4th) formally deposed, “in the name, and by the authority of Jesus Christ, and with the consent of all his (i. e. the bishop’s) brethren, not only from his charge at Dalgetty, but from all the parts of the ministerial function within any diocese of the kirk of Scotland.” By his prudence, Mr Donaldson prevented any disturbance—for his affectionate people were sufficiently disposed to have made resistance—and even prevailed upon the military deputation, who came with the curate to displace him, to suffer him to preach and take farewell of his weeping congregation who had assembled. Dunfermline, upon being apprised of the whole before he left London, applied personally to the king, and procured his warrant to present Mr Donaldson to Dalgetty during life, which he brought to Scotland with him; and, showing it to the primate, complained that he had taken advantage of his absence to deprive him of a minister for whom he had so high a value. Sharpe, dissembling his anger, apologized, and, with many professions of regard for the Earl, promised obedience to his majesty’s commands, only requesting, as a favour, that the Earl would do nothing in it for three weeks, till he got the young man now settled at Dalgetty provided for. To this his lordship consented, supposing, as a matter of course, that Mr Donaldson would then be restored. But the archbishop in the interim, by his interest at court, got an order under the royal sign manual, forbidding all “outted” ministers to return to their charges, sent down express, long before the three weeks expired. Dunfermline felt sufficiently fretted at the cheat, but there was no remedy.
Field-preaching continuing on the increase in the west, in the south, and in Fife, several of the ministers, at the instigation of Archbishop Burnet, whose province they chiefly invaded, had been summoned before the council and endured vexatious and expensive prosecutions; others, who were more active and conspicuous, who knew that no defence they could offer would prove availing, chose rather to allow sentence to pass in absence than willingly to desist from proclaiming the gospel; and being determined in this to obey God rather than man, they persisted at their peril, in spite of acts of parliament and council, to exercise their ministry wherever they could find opportunity. Deprived of their livings and driven from their homes, they could furnish little spoil to the persecutor, but they were most affectionately received into the houses of their friends, who carefully provided for their safety; and their sermons, of which intelligence was easily communicated, were attended by numerous and attentive congregations. That they should thus elude the grasp of their persecutors, and be followed by the most respectable of the country population, was irritating to the managers and galling to the prelates. But many of those who protected them were possessed of property; and as they were now made liable by law for hearing the gospel, the council began to turn their attention to this lucrative branch of oppression.
William Gordon of Earlston soon attracted their attention. Descended from an ancient family, distinguished in the annals of the Reformation, he, from his childhood, had attached himself to the people of God, and in early life enjoyed the friendship of Rutherford, but does not appear to have courted notice till persecution dragged him into view. When the commission was sent to Galloway to inquire into the disturbances at Irongray, they wrote to him requiring him to take an active part in the settlement of a curate, presented by the Bishop of Galloway, to the church of Dalry. This he respectfully declined, because he could not do it with a good conscience, as what did not tend to God’s glory and the edification of his scattered people; and, also, because he, as patron of the parish, had legally, and with the consent of the people, appointed already a truly worthy and qualified person and an actual minister to that charge. For this “seditious carriage” he was called before the council, but they do not appear to have found that his conduct amounted to a punishable crime, and therefore, on the 24th November 1663, he was summoned upon the more comprehensive accusation of keeping conventicles and private meetings in his house; and, on the 1st of March this year, he was found guilty, upon his own confession, of having been one at three several conventicles, when Mr Gabriel Semple, a deposed minister, preached—one in Corsack wood, and two in the wood of Airds; of hearing Mr Robert Paton, likewise a deposed minister, expound a text of Scripture, and perform divers acts of worship in his mother’s house; and of allowing Mr Thomas Thomson, another of the same kind, to lecture in his own house to his family on a Sabbath day—for these offences, and because he would not engage never to repeat them, he was banished forth of the kingdom, not to return under pain of death! Besides all these various methods of harassing the Presbyterians, Sir James Turner, during this year, continued his missionary exertions with uniform persevering diligence, only increasing in severity, as an unlicensed, unresisted soldiery ever do.
Several political changes took place in the course of the year that require to be noticed, although they had no influence in stopping or altering the tide of persecution, which, being directed by the prelates, particularly the two archbishops, continued to roll on with accumulating violence. The Earl of Glencairn died on the anniversary of the king’s restoration. He was carried off rapidly by a fever, believed to have been produced or exasperated by the treatment he received from Sharpe, and which he could find no opportunity to resent. In his last moments, he earnestly desired the assistance of some Presbyterian ministers; but before one could be procured, he was incapable of deriving any benefit or comfort from their spiritual instructions or devotional exercises—a circumstance neither uncommon among the noblemen of that time nor strange; for, when men who had been religiously educated, and had, for the sake of worldly ambition or licentious pleasure, apostatized from their early profession, came to encounter the solemnities of a deathbed, if the conscience has not been altogether seared—a still more awful state—the partial knowledge they had acquired would often awaken remorse for having forsaken the guides of their youth, and lead them, when perhaps too late, to seek those consolations they had despised, amid the hurry of business or in high-day of pleasure and of health. Rothes, about the end of the year, was made keeper of the great seal, which Sharpe, according to Burnet, had solicited. Sir John Fletcher was removed from the office of lord advocate, and Sir John Nisbet appointed in his room. In the month of August, Sharpe and Rothes went to court, whence they returned in October—Rothes loaded with civil appointments, and in addition named commissioner for holding the national synod—a council which the primate, who could bear no rival near the throne, continued effectually to prevent being ever assembled.
BOOK V.
JANUARY, A.D. 1665-1666.
Partial moderation of the King—Sir James Turner’s campaign through Kirkcudbright and Galloway—Unpaid fines levied—Students’ oaths—All meetings for religious purposes forbid—Quietude of the country—Proclamation of the Council—Apologetical relation—Sir James Turner’s third campaign extended to Nithsdale—Visits Mr Blackadder at Troqueer—More troops raised—Rigorous acts more rigorously enforced—Rising of the persecuted—They gather strength—Their operations—Defeated at Pentland—Prelatic revenge—Testimony of the sufferers—Torture introduced—Nielson of Corsack—Hugh M’Kail—Executions in Edinburgh and the west country—William Sutherland—Executions at Ayr.