OF MR. JAMES BOIG,
Student of Theology, who suffered at the Cross of Edinburgh, July 27, 1681, written in a letter to his brother: —
“DEAR BROTHER, — I have not now time to write that which I would; but to satisfy your desire, and the desire of others, who are concerned in the cause and work of God, that is now at this time trampled upon, I have given out my indictment to a friend of yours, and now I shall give you an account of the enemies’
prosecution thereof against us.
“My indictment did run upon three heads —
“1. That I had disowned the King’s authority;
“2. That I said, the rising in arms at Bothwell Bridge was lawful, and upon the defense of truth;
“3. That I owned the Sanquhar Declaration in the whole heads and articles thereoff And having again owned this before the Justiciary and Assizers [i.e., the Jury], I held my peace, and spake no more, because I saw what was spoken by others was not regarded, either by our unjust judges or mocking auditors. All that our speaking did, was the exposing of us to the mockery of all present.
“But the reasons that were given in thus, for our defense in the first head were — That we could not own the authority, as now
presently established, unless we should also own the Supremacy which the King hath iasurped over the Church. By our doing of this, we should rob Christ of that which is His right; and give that unto a man, which is due to no mortal. The reason is, because the Supremacy is declared in their Acts of Parliament to be essential to the crown; and that which is essential to anything, is the same with the thing itself so that in owning the authority, we are of necessity obliged to justify them in their usurpation also. But there is another argument, which to me is valid, though I spoke it not before them, and it does not a little trouble me that I should have passed it. The
Advocate, in his discourse to the assizers among other things, said, that we were overturning these acts and laws which they, the assizers, had consented to, and were owning. Now, I suppose their consent to the present acts and laws was never formally required of them, but that which is taken for their consent is their simple silence, when these acts were made and published, and owning these Parliaments as their representatives; so that I may dearly argue from this, that, even in their own sense, my owning of the present authority now established as lawful, and the present magistrates as my magistrates, is a giving my consent to the
present acts and laws, and so consequently to the robbing of Christ of that which is His right.
“As to the second, it being but one particular fact, deduced from that principle of the lawfulness of self-defense, and this principle being as positively asserted by all of us, I look upon the principle to be as expressly sealed with our blood, as that particular fact of rising in arms at Bothwell Bridge is.
“As to the third, it being a deed consequential from the first, I looked upon them both to stand and fall together; and he that owneth the first, must of necessity own the last also.
“And as to that of declaring of war, I did always look upon it to be one and the same, though differently expressed, with that contained in the paper found at the Queensferry; and that the main design of it was to vindicate us before the world in our repelling unjust violence, and clearing us of these aspersions that were cast upon us, viz., the holding, as a principle, the lawfulness of private assassinations (which we disown), and murdering all those who are not of the same judgment with us.
“These are the truths which we are to seal with our blood,
tomorrow, in the afternoon, at the Cross of Edinburgh. As to other particular actions, we declined to answer positively to them, as that of the Archbishop [Sharp’s] death. We told them that we could not be judges of other men’s actions. As to the
excommunication [at the Torwood], because we declined them, as
not competent judges, to cognosce upon an ecclesiastic matter, they did not proceed upon it.
“And now, dear brother, you may see our quarrel clearly stated to be the same that Mr. James Guthrie laid down his head for; beside whose, mine and my other two friends’ heads are to be set. There were many other things passed in private betwixt me and Mr.
William Paterson (sometime my regent, now Council Clerk), with some others who strongly assaulted me with their snares; but now I hope I may say, that ‘my soul hath escaped like a bird out of the snare of the fowler.’
“And as to your second desire, of knowing how it went with my soul. Many and strong have been the assaults of Satan since I came to prison; but glory to God, who hath not been wanting to me in giving me assistance, yea, many times unsought; and He is yet continuing, and I hope shall do to the end, to carry me above the fear of death, so that I am in as sweet a calm, as if I were going to be married to one dearly beloved. Alas! my cold heart is not able to answer His burning love; but what is wanting in me is, and shall be, made up in a Savior complete and well furnished in all things, appointed of the Father for this end, to their own home, whereof (I think I may adventure to say it) I am one, though feckless [i.e., worthless].
“Now, I have no time to enlarge, to bring His straying children may adventure to say it) I am else I would give you a more particular account of God’s goodness and dealing with me; but let this suffice, that I am once fairly on the way, and within the view of
Immanuel’s land, and in hopes to be received an inhabitant there within the space of twenty-six hours at most. Farewell all earthly comforts, farewell all worldly vanities, farewell all carnal desires;
welcome cross, welcome gallows, welcome Christ, welcome heaven and everlasting happiness.
“I have no more spare time. Grace, mercy, and peace be with you.
Amen. “From Edinburgh Tolbooth, July 27, 1681
“Sic subscribitur,
“JAMES BOIG.”