fact,’ and taking [i.e., correcting] himself again, he said, ‘It is true, it is but treason in their judgment; but go on according to our law, and if ye will not do it, I will proceed.’ And when they had read my confession, they had set down that I had said, The ministers had taught me these principles. I said, ‘That is a lie, and it is like the rest of your lies;’ so I said, that it was Christ by His Word that taught me. They answered nothing to that, but said, Would I own the rest of my confession? I answered, Yes.
“The Advocate said, ‘We do not desire to take their lives; for we have dealt with them many ways, and sent ministers to deal with them, and we cannot prevail with them.’ I said, ‘We are not concerned with you and your ministers.’
“The Advocate said, ‘It is not for religion, that we are pursuing you; but for treason.’ I answered, ‘It is for religion that ye are pursuing me; for I am of the same religion that ye are all sworn to be of; but ye are all gone blind. I am a true Presbyterian in my judgment.’
“So they put the assize into a room by themselves, and removed me without the guard into another room; then they read the delay till Friday at twelve of the clock, And I charged them before the tribunal of God, as they should answer there; for, said I, ‘ye have nothing to say to me, but for my owning the persecuted Gospel,’
THE DYING TESTIMONY AND LAST WORDS
OF MARION HARVIE
“CHRISTIAN FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES, I being to lay down my life on Wednesday next, January 26, 1681, I thought fit to let it be known to the world wherefore I lay down my life, and to let it be seen that I die not as a fool or as an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters; no, it is for adhering to the truths of Jesus Christ, and avowing Him to be King in Zion, and head of His Church; and the testimony against the ungodly laws of men; and their robbing Christ of His rights, and usurping His prerogative
royal, which I durst not but testify against; and I bless His holy name, that ever He called me to bear witness against the sins of the times, and the defections of upsitten [i.e., callous] ministers and professors.
“1. I adhere to the holy and sweet Scriptures of God, which have been my rule in all I have done, in which my soul has been refreshed.
“2. I adhere to the Confession of Faith, because agreeable to the Scriptures.
“3. I adhere to the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
“4. I adhere to the Covenants, National and Solemn League, and the work of Reformation.
“5. I adhere to all the faithful testimonies which have been left by our faithful ministers of Jesus Christ, either on scaffolds or fields.
“6. I adhere to the papers found at the Queensferry, on Henry Hall.
“7. I adhere to the Declaration at Sanquhar, and the testimony at Rutherglen, and the papers found on worthy Mr. Richard Cameron.
“8. I adhere to the Excommunication at the Torwood.
“9. I adhere to the excommunication of the bishops and their underlings [The bishops were deposed and excommunicated by the General Assembly, at Glasgow, session 20, December 13, 1638. — ED.]; and I die in the faith of it, that the Lord hath ratified that in heaven, which His faithful servants have done on earth, as to the casting out these traitors to God out of the Church.
“And now I desire to bless the Lord for my lot. My lot is fallen to me in pleasant places, and I have a goodly heritage.
“I leave my blood upon the traitor that sits upon the throne; then on James, Duke of York, who was sitting in the Council when I was examined the first day. And I leave my blood on the bloody
crew that call themselves rulers. And I leave it on James Henderson in the North Ferry, who was the Judas that sold Archibald Stewart and Mr. Skene, and me, to the bloody soldiers for so much money.
I leave my blood on Sergeant Warrock, who took me, and brought me to prison. I leave my blood on the Criminal Lords, as they call themselves, and especially that excommunicate tyrant George Mackenzie, the Advocate, and the fifteen assizers, and on Andrew Cunningham that gave me my doom; and on that excommunicate traitor Thomas Dalziel, who was porter that day that I was first before them, and threatened me with the Boots. 1
“I give my testimony against the burning of the Covenants, which were solemnly sworn by the three nations with uplifted hands to the great God of heaven and earth. I leave my testimony against all the bloodshed and massacres of the Lord’s people, either on scaffolds or in the fields. I protest against banishings and finings, and cruel murderings, especially the inhuman murder of worthy David Hackston. I leave my testimony against the paying of the cess, employed for the bearing down the preaching of the Gospel, and the taking and killing the poor followers of Jesus Christ. I leave my testimony against the professors that say this is not the truth of God for which I suffer, and call the way of God delusion.
“I leave my testimony against Mr. Archibald Riddell, who became servant to the bloody lords, and made it his work to make me deny Christ, and betake myself to the ungodly laws of men, and to call the truths of God delusions, which I am to seal with my blood; and I rejoice that ever He counted me worthy so to do. Oh! I may say, What am I, or what is my father’s house, that He should have called me out to seal His truths with my blood? — which truths, both ministers and professors have counted prudence to disown and deny; for which the land will be made to mourn, and sorely to smart ere all be done. I leave my testimony against Mr. John Blair, that said I had no more grace than his staff had, and was witness to my sentence that day I got it; and his wife, that said I had no more grace nor [i.e., than] her old shoes, as if grace were not free, and as though Christ had not enough to give me. I leave my testimony against both ministers and professors that have joined themselves
in any of these courses of defection with the enemies, and are fast in their camps.
“I leave my testimony against Popery, Prelacy, Quakerism, and Indulgency, and desire to mourn for it that ever I joined with them in hearing them, or any of those that connive at them. I leave my testimony against all Jesuitical principles, although our professors say that I adhere to them; I deny it; and I take God to be my witness that I hate all opinions that are contrary to the sound truths of God. And since ever God called me to follow His persecuted Gospel, it was still my desire to stick close by Him, and the rule He has set down for poor sinners to walk by; and it was always my rejoicing to serve Him, and to act and do for His truth, and to vindicate it. And many a sore heart I have had with them, in vindicating His truths, when they have been denying them, and casting dirt in the faces of faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ;
and I desire all these that are endeavoring to contend for Christ and His truths, that they would be faithful in their witnessing for Him, and eschew the least appearance of sin. For I, a dying witness of Christ, obtest you, as you will answer when ye stand before Him in the day of your appearance, that ye be faithful in owning Him in all His truths, and not yield a hoof to these ungodly, perjured, bloody and excommunicate traitors and tyrants; for there is much advantage to be had in faithfulness for Christ, and that I may set to my seal to the truth of. And I think Christ is taking a narrow [i.e., close] view of His followers at this time; for there are few that yield a hairbreadth of the truths of God that readily win [i.e., get]
to their feet again, but go from one degree of defection to another.
“And again, I desire to bless and magnify the Lord for my lot, and may say, He hath brought me to the wilderness to allure me there, and speak comfortably to my soul. It was but little of Him I knew when I came to prison; but now He has said to me, because He lives, I shall live also; and He has told me, ‘I am He, that hath blotted out thine iniquity for my own name’s sake.’ Kind has He been to me since He brought me out to witness for Him. I have never sought anything from Him that was for His glory, since I came to prison, but He granted me my desire. For the most part, I
have found Him in everything that hath come in my way, ordering it Himself for His own glory. And now I bless Him that thoughts of death are not terrible to me. He hath made me as willing to lay down my life for Him as ever I was willing to live in the world.
“And now, ye that are His witnesses, be not afraid to adventure upon the cross of Christ, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. For many times I have been made to think strange what makes folk cast at [i.e., object to] the cross of Christ, that has been so light to me that I found no burden of it at all; He bore me and it both. Now, let not the frowns of men and their flatteries put you from your duty. Keep up your societies and the assembling of yourselves together, for there is much profit to be found in it.
Many times hath it been found comfortable to me to hear of the few in Scotland in which Christ was delighting; and that there was much love to God’s glory and zeal for His honor amongst them.
“Now, be humble and lie in the dust, and never give over crying in behalf of the Church, which is so small that it can scarcely be discerned, and never give over till He appear, for I think He is near at hand. Oh! watch, and double your diligence, and hold fast till He come, and let none take your crown, for He is good to the soul that seeks Him. If I were to live again, I would let that perjured crew see that I should be more guilty of that which they call rebellion, in serving my lovely King, and in acting and doing for Him and His glory, if He called me to it; and it is my grief that I have not been more faithful for my master Christ. All His dealings with me have been in love and in mercy. His corrections have been all in love and free grace. Oh! free love! Oh! I am oft made to wonder what it was that made Him take a blasphemer to witness for Him and His truths. I may say, I am a brand plucked out of the fire; I am a limb of the devil plucked out from his fireside. Oh! I am made to wonder and admire at His condescending love.
“Now I leave my testimony against Jean Forrest, for saying that I was going to the grave with a lie in my right hand, and charging my blood on my own head. Oh! my friends, come out from among them, and touch not the unclean thing. It will never be well till there
be a separation from sin. I bless the Lord that ever I heard Mr.
Cargill, that faithful servant of Jesus Christ; I bless the Lord that ever I heard Mr. Richard Cameron; my soul has been refreshed with the hearing of him, particularly at a communion in Carrick, on those words in Psalm 65, ver. 8:
‘The Lord will speak peace to His saints and people, but let them not return to folly.’
“Now, I leave my testimony against all the backsliding ministers, who, when I began to hear the Gospel, preached the same truths which I am to lay down my life for at this time, but now they are joined in a combination against God, and for the most part are all at the enemies’ will; for when I got my sentence, the bloody traitors promised to bring any of our own ministers to us, when before them; and so this gives me ground to say, they are become their servants. Now, the Lord knows I have a sore heart to mention these things; but when I saw some of them there, and they offering us any of the rest, it gives me ground to set it down with a sore heart.
“Now, what shall I say? I have sinned against Him, and I am guilty of the defections, for which my Carcase must lie in the wilderness, and not see the King come home to His habitation. But oh! I am content, and heartily content, that He gives me my soul for a prey;
and well is me for it; I think myself not behind. Oh! my love; Oh!
my love; Oh! my love; my altogether lovely Christ!
“The common report through the country is, that I might have had my life on very easy terms; but I could have it on no easier terms than the denying of my Lord and Master, Christ. First, they asked, if I would retract my former confession, and particularized all the papers I had owned before, and if I would not call Charles Stuart a usurper and the devil’s vicegerent. I told them I would not go back in anything, ‘for ye have nothing,’ said I, ‘to lay to me but for the avowing Christ to be King in Zion, and head of His own Church.”
And they said, they did not usurp Christ’s crown. But I said they were blinded and did not see. They said there were but a few of us for these principles. I said they had all the wyte [i.e., blame] of it,