lives they had taken; for it much more affected me that many souls were killed by their doctrine.
“The Bishop said, Wherein is our doctrine erroneous? I said, That was better debated already than a poor lass could debate it.
“They said, Your ministers do not approve of these things, and ye have said more than some of your ministers; for your ministers have brought you on to these opinions, and left you there. I said, They had cast in baits among the ministers, and harled [i.e., drawn]
them aside; and although ministers say one thing today, and another tomorrow, we are not obliged to follow them in that.
“Then they said, they pitied me; for, said they, We find reason and a quick wit in you; and they desired me to take it to advisement. I told them I had been advising on it these seven years, and I hoped not to change now.
“They inquired mockingly, If I lectured any? I answered, Quakers use to do so.
“They asked, If I did own Presbyterian principles? I answered, That I did.
“They asked, If I was distempered? I told them I was always solid in the wit that God had given me
“Lastly, they asked my name. I told them, If they had staged [i.e., accused] me, they might remember my name, for I had told them already, and would not aye [i.e., always] be telling them. One of them said, May ye not tell us your name? Then another of themselves told it.
“Being called before the Criminal Lords, they asked me, If I would abide by what I said the last day? I answered, I am not about to deny anything of it.
“They said, Ye confessed, that ye harbored the killers of the archbishop, though ye would not call it murder. I said, I confessed no such thing.
“The Advocate said, I did. I answered, I did not; and I told them I would take with no untruths.
“He said, Did ye not converse with them? I said, I did convene with David Hackston, and I bless the Lord for it.
“They said, When saw ye him last? I answered, never since ye murdered him.
“They desired me to say over what I said the last day. I said, Would they have me to be my own accuser?
“They said, The Advocate was my accuser. I said, Let him say on, then.
“Then they went over the things that passed betwixt the Council and me the other day, and put me to it — yea, or nay? I said, Ye have troubled me too much with answering questions, seeing you are a judicature which I have no clearness to answer.
“They said, Do ye disown us, and the king’s authority in us?
“I said, I disown you all, because you carry the sword against God and not for Him, and have these nineteen or twenty years made it your work to dethrone Him by swearing year after year against Him and His work, and assuming that power to a human creature which is due to Him alone, and have rent the members from their Head, Christ, and one another.
“Then they asked, Who taught you these principles? I said, I was beholden to God that taught me these principles.
“They said, Are ye a Quaker? I said, Did ye hear me say I was led by a spirit within me? I bless the Lord I profired much by the
persecuted Gospel; and your Acts of Indemnity after Bothwell cleared me more than anything I met with since.
“They said, How could that be? I said, By your meddling with Christ’s interests, and parting them as ye pleased.
“They said, they did not usurp Christ’s prerogatives. I said, What, then, mean your Indulgences, and your setting up of Prelacy? for there has none preached publicly these twenty years without persecution but these that have their orders from you.
“Then they caused bring Sanquhar Declaration and the paper1 found on Mr. Richard Cameron, and the papers taken at the Queensferry, and asked if I would adhere to them? I said I would, as they were according to the Scriptures, and I saw not wherein they did contradict them.
“They asked, If ever Mr. Welch [John Welch of Irongray. He was at Pentland, and at Bothwell Bridge headed the party opposed to Sir R. Hamilton. — ED.] or Mr. Riddell taught me these
principles? I answered, I would be far in the wrong to speak anything that might wrong them.
“Then they bade me take heed what I was saying, for it was upon life and death that I was questioned. I asked them if they would have me to lie? I would not quit one truth though it would purchase my life a thousand years; which ye cannot purchase, nor promise me an hour.
“They said, When saw ye the two Hendersons and John Balfour?
Seeing ye love ingenuity, will ye be ingenuous and tell us if ye saw them since the death of the archbishop? I said, They appeared publicly within the land since.
“They asked, If I conversed with them within these twelve months? At which I kept silence.
“They urged me to say either yea or nay. I answered, Yes.
“Then they said, Your blood be upon your own head, we shall be free of it. I answered, So said Pilate; but it was a question if it was
so; and ye have nothing to say against me, but for owning of Christ’s truths and His persecuted members. To which they answered nothing. Then they desired me to subscribe what I owned. I refused, and they did it for me.