Mr. Alexander Peden was born in the parish of Sorn in the shire of Air. After he had past his courses of learning at the university, he was, for some time, employed to be schoolmaster, precentor and session clerk to Mr. John Guthrie, minister of the gospel then at Tarbolton[218]. When he was about to enter into the ministry, he was accused by a young woman, as being the father of a child, which she was with. But of this aspersion he was fully cleared, by the confession of the real father. The woman, after suffering many calamities, put an end to her own life, in the very same place where Mr. Peden had spent 24 hours seeking the divine direction, while he was embarrassed with that affair.
A little before the restoration, he was settled minister at New Glenluce in Galloway, where he continued for about the space of three years, until he was among others thrust out by the violence and tyranny of these times. When he was about to depart from that parish, he lectured upon Acts xx. from the seventh verse to the end, and preached in the forenoon from these words in the 31st verse, Therefore watch, and remember, that for the space of three years I ceased not to warn every man, &c. asserting that he had declared unto them the whole counsel of God, and had kept back nothing, professing he was free from the blood of all souls. In the afternoon, he preached from the 32d verse, And now, brethren, I commend you to the word of his grace, &c. which occasioned a weeping day in that church. He many times requested them to be silent, but they sorrowed most of all when he told them, they should never see his face in that pulpit again. He continued till night, and when he closed the pulpit door, he knocked three times very hard on it, with his Bible, saying three times over, I arrest thee, in my Master's name, that none ever, enter thee, but such as come in by the door, as I have done. Accordingly never did curate or indulged enter that pulpit, until the revolution, that one of the presbyterian persuasion opened it.
About the beginning of the year 1666, a proclamation was emitted by the council against him (and several of the ejected ministers); wherein he was charged with holding conventicles, preaching and baptizing children at the Ralstoun in Kilmarnock parish in October last, and another in Castlehill in Craigy parish, where he baptized 25 children. But upon his non-appearance at this citation, he was next year declared a rebel, and forfeited in both life and fortune.[219]
After this, he joined with that faithful party, which, in the same year, was broke at Pentland hills; and with them he came the length of Clyde, where he had a melancholy view of their end, and parted with them there. Afterward, when one of his friends said to him, Sir, You did well that left them, seeing you was persuaded that they would fall and flee before the enemy, he was offended, and said, Glory, glory to God, that he sent me not to hell immediately, for I should have stayed with them, though I should have been all cut in pieces.
In the same year he met with a very remarkable deliverance. For he, Mr. Welch and the laird of Gler-over, riding together, they met a party of the enemy's horse whom there was no evading. The laird fainted, fearing they should be taken. Mr. Peden, seeing this, said, Keep up your courage and confidence, for God hath laid an arrest on these men, that they shall do us no harm. When they met, they were courteous, and asked the way. Mr. Peden went off the way, and shewed them the ford of the water of Titt. When he returned, the laird said, Why did you go? you might have let the lad go with them. No, said he, they might have asked questions of the lad, which might have discovered us; but as for me, I knew they would be like Egyptian dogs; they could not move a tongue against me, my time not being yet come, &c.
He passed his time sometimes in Scotland and sometimes in Ireland[220], until June 1673, that he was by Major Cockburn taken in the house of Hugh Ferguson of Knockdew in Carrick, who constrained him to stay all night. Mr. Peden told them it would be a dear night's quarters to them both, accordingly they were both carried prisoners to Edinburgh. There the said Hugh was fined in 1000 merks for reset, harbour and converse with him. Some time after his examination he was sent prisoner to the bass one sabbath morning. Being about the public worship of God, a young girl, about the age of fourteen years, came to the chamber door mocking with loud laughter. He said, Poor thing, thou laughest and mockest at the worship of God, but ere long God shall write such a sudden and surprising judgment on thee, that shall stay thy laughing &c. Very shortly after that, as she was walking on the rock, a blast of wind swept her off to the sea, where she was lost.
Another day as he was walking on the rock, some soldiers were passing by, and one of them cried, the devil take him. He said, Fy, fy! poor man, thou knowest not what thou art saying; but thou shalt repent that. At which he stood astonished, and went to the guard distracted, crying out for Mr. Peden, saying, The devil would immediately come and take him away. Mr. Peden came, and spoke to and prayed for him, and next morning came to him again and found him in his right mind, under deep convictions of great guilt. The guard being to change, they commanded him to his arms, but he refused; and said, He would lift no arms against Jesus Christ, his cause and people; I have done that too long. The governor threatened him with death to-morrow by ten o-clock. He confidently said, three times over, That though he should tear him in pieces, he should never lift arms that way. About three days after, the governor put him forth of the garrison, letting him ashore. And he, having a wife and children, took a house in East Lothian, where he became a singular christian.
He was brought from the Bass to Edinburgh, and sentence of banishment parted upon him in Dec. 1678 with other 60 prisoners for the same cause, to go to America, never to be seen again in Scotland, under pain of death. After this sentence was past, he often said, That that ship was not yet built that should take him or these prisoners to Virginia, or any other of the English plantations in America. When they were on ship-board in the road of Leith, there was a report that the enemies were to send down thumbkins to keep them in order; on which they were much discouraged. He went above deck and said, Why are ye so discouraged; you need not fear, there will neither thumbkins nor bootkins come here; lift up your hearts, for the day of your redemption draweth near: If we were once at London, we will all be let at liberty, &c. In their voyage thither, they had the opportunity of commanding the ship and escaping, but would not adventure upon it without his advice. He said, Let all alone, for the Lord will set all at liberty in a way more conducive to his own glory and our own safety. Accordingly when they arrived, the skipper who received them at Leith, being to carry them no farther, delivered them to another to carry them to Virginia, to whom they were represented as thieves and robbers. But when he came to see them, and found they were all grave sober Christians, banished for presbyterian principles, he said, he would sail the seas with none such. In this confusion, that the one skipper would not receive them, and the other would keep them no longer for being expensive to him, they were set at liberty. Some, says the skipper, got compliments from friends in London. Others assure us, That they got off through means of the Lord Shaftesbury, who was always friendly to the presbyterians. However it is certain that they were all liberated at Gravesend, without any bond or imposition whatever. And in their way homeward the English showed them no small degrees of kindness.
After they were set at liberty, Mr. Peden stayed in London and other places of England until June 1670, that he came to Scotland, and that dismal day, the 22d of that month, when the Lord's people fell and fled before their enemies at Bothwel-bridge, he was 40 miles distant (being near the border), where he kept himself retired until the middle of the day, that some friends said to him, Sir, the people are waiting for sermon, (it being the Lord's day). To whom he said, Let the people go to their prayers; for me, I neither can nor will preach any this day; for our friends are fallen and fled before the enemy at Hamilton, and they are hashing and hagging them down, and their blood is running down like water.
Shortly after this stroke at Bothwel-bridge, he went to Ireland, but did not stay long at that time. For in the year 1630, being near Mauchlin in the shire of Ayr, one Robert Brown, in Corsehouse in Loudon parish, and one Hugh Pinaneve, factor to the earl of Loudon, stabling their horses in that house where he was, went to a fair in Mauchlin, and in the afternoon, when they came to take their horses, they got some drink; in the taking of which the said Hugh broke out into railing against our sufferers, particularly against Mr. Cameron, who was lately, before that, slain at Airs-moss. Mr. Peden, being in another room overhearing all, was so grieved that he came to the chamber door and said to him, Sir, hold your peace; ere twelve o'clock you shall know what for a man Mr. Cameron was: God shall punish that blasphemous mouth of yours in such a manner, that you shall be set up for a beacon to all such railing Rabshakehs. Robert Brown, knowing Mr. Peden, hastened to his horse, being persuaded that his word would not fall to the ground; and fearing also that some mischief might befal him in the said Hugh's company, he hastened home to his own house, and the said Hugh to the earl's; and casting off his boots, he was struck with a sudden sickness and pain through his body, with his mouth wide open, and his tongue hanging out in a fearful manner. They sent for the said Robert to take some blood from him, but all in vain; for he died before midnight.