conduct, and all other blessings, both spiritual and temporal, ever to attend his person and government.  Thus these men made themselves naked to their shame, and declared to the world, that they did only presumptuously arrogate to themselves the name of Presbyterians; whereas, in reality, they were quite another kind of creatures, acting diametrically opposite to Presbyterian principles, in congratulating, extolling and justifying a tyrant, for assuming to himself a blasphemous, absolute power, whereby he suspends and disables all penal laws against idolators, and gives a toleration for all errors.

But while these pretended Presbyterians, who all along loved peace better than truth, and preferred their own ease before the concerns of their Master’s glory, were thus sheltering themselves under this refuge of lies; true Presbyterians, who kept by presbyterian principles, and acted a faithful part for CHRIST, refusing to bow down to the idol of supremacy, which the tyrant had set up, or pay any regard to his blasphemous toleration, were pursued, persecuted, and slain, without pity or compassion, all the engines of the court being leveled against them for their destruction, because they would still reserve to themselves the liberty wherewith CHRIST had made his people free, and not exchange it for one from Antichrist, restricted with his reserves and limitations; so that (as Mr. Shields tells us in his account of Mr. James Renwick’s life), in less than five months after the toleration, there were fifteen most desperate searches particularly for him, both of foot and horse:  and, that all encouragement might be given to any who would apprehend him, a proclamation was issued, dated October 18th, “Authorizing all officers, civil and military, to apprehend and secure in firmance his person, with some others; and for encouragement, insuring the sum of 100L sterling for taking him, or them, dead or alive.”  In the midst of all these hazards, this unwearied and faithful laborer did notwithstanding continue at his work, in preaching, catechising, &c., and the Lord still preserved him from falling into the enemy’s hand, until he had finished that piece of generation work, in drawing up a full and faithful testimony against York’s toleration, and for the covenants and work of reformation, &c., which he gave in to a meeting of Presbyterian ministers at Edinburgh, on the 17th January, 1688; and going thence to Fife, whither he was called to preach, in his return, was apprehended at Edinburgh, and called to seal his above testimony, with all his other contendings against Popery, Prelacy, Erastianism, and all defection from the land’s attainments in reformation, with his blood, which he did in the Grass market of Edinburgh, 17th of February, 1688, with a remarkable and extraordinary measure of the Lord’s gracious presence and spirit, not only in this part of his sufferings, but all the time