ifm for that mystery of iniquity that had been long working, till he who letted was taken out of the way, found Scotland ripe for it when he came; which, while the dragon did perfecute the woman in the wildernefs, did valiantly repel his affaults; but when the beaft did arife, to whom he gave his power, he prevailed more by his fubtilty, than his rampant predeceffor could do by his rage. Scotland could refift the Roman legions while heathenish, but not the Roman locufts when antichriftian. At his very first appearance in the world, under the character of antichrift, his harbinger Palladius brought in prelacy to Scotland, and by that conveyance the contagion of popery, which hath always been, as every where, fo efpecially in Scotland, both the mother and daughter, cause and effect, occafion and confequence of popery. Thefe rofe, flood and lived together, and fometimes did alfo fall together; and we have ground to hope that they fhall fall again; and their final and fatal fall is not far off. Whatever difficulty authors do make, in calculating the epocha of the forty-two months of antichrift's duration in the world, because of the obfcurity of his firft rife; yet there needs not be much perplexity in finding out that epocha in Scotland, nor fo much difcouragement from the fancied permanency of that kingdom of wickednefs. For if it be certain, as it will not be much difputed, that popery and prelacy came in by Palladius, fent legate by Pope Celeftine, about the year 450; then if we add forty-two months, or 1260 prophetical days, that is, years, we may have a comfortable profpect of their tragical conclufion. And though both clafhings and combinations, oppofitions and conjunctions, this day may feem to have a terrible afpect, portending a darker hour before the dawning; yet all thefe reelings and revolutions, though they be fymptoms of wrath incumbent upon us for our fins, they may be looked upon, through a profpect of faith, as prefages and prognof tics of mercy impendent for his name's fake, encou

raging us, when we see these dreadful things come to pafs in our day, to lift up our heads, for the day of our redemption draweth nigh. This dark period continued nigh about 1100 years, in which, though Chrift's witneffes were very few, yet he had fome witneffing and prophecying in fackcloth all the while. Their teftimony was the fame with that of the Waldenfes and Albigenfes, ftated upon the grounds of their feceffion, or rather abftraction from that myftery Babylon, mother of harlots, popery and prelacy, for their corruption in doctrine, worship, difcipline and government. And did more particularly relate to the concerns of Chrift's prieftly office, which was tranfmitted from the Culdees to the Lollards, and by them handed down to the inftruments of reformation in the following period. Their teftimony indeed was not active, by way of forcible refiftance against the fovereign powers; but paffive, by way of confeffion and martyrdom, and fufferings and verbal contendings, and witneffings against the prevailing corruptions of the time. And no wonder it fhould be fo, and in this fome way different from ours, because that was a difpenfation of fuffering, when antichrift was on the afcendant, and they had no call or capacity to oppofe him any other way, and were new fpirited for this paffive teftimony, in which circumstances they are an excellent pattern for imitation, but not an example for confutation of that principle of defenfive resistance, which they never contradicted, and had never occafion to confirm by their practice. But, as in their managing their teftimony, their manner was fomeway different from ours on this refpect; fo they had by far the advantage of us, that their caufe was fo clearly ftated upon the greateft heads of fufferings, having the cleareft connexion with the fundamentals of religion; yet we shall find in this period our heads of fuffering fomeway homologated, if we confider,

I. That

I. That as they did faithfully keep and contend for the word of Chrift's patience under that difpenfation, in afferting and maintaining both the verity of Chrift's doctrine, and the purity of his worship, by teftifying against the corruptions, errors, idolatries and fuperstitions of popery; fo they did conftantly bear witness against the ufurpation and tyrannical domination of the antichriftian prelates. And as the Culdees did vigorously oppose their firft introduction, and afterafpiring domination, as well as the corruptions of their doctrines, as we have the contendings of eminent witnesses recorded from age to age; in the fourth and fifth age, Columbe, Libthac, Ethernan, Kintegern or Mungo; in the fixth and feventh age, Colmanus, Clemens, and Samfon, with others; in the eighth and ninth age, Alcuin, Rabanus, Maurus, Joannes Scotus rigena, are noted in hiftory. And the Lollards, by their examinations and teftimonies, are found to have witneffed against the exercise of their power, and fometimes against the very nature of their power itself: fo in their practice they condemned prelacy as well as popery, in that their minifters did in much painfulness, poverty, fimplicity, humility, and equality, obferve the inftitution of our Lord. And fo far as their light ferved, and had occafion to enquire into this point, they acknowledged no officer in the houfe of God fuperior to a preaching minifter, and according to this ftandard, they rejected and crav. ed reformation of exorbitant prelacy. And it is plain, that they were frequently difcovered by discountenancing and withdrawing from their fuperftitious and idolatrous worship; for all which, when they could not escape nor repel their violence, they cheerfully embraced and endured the flames.

II. That their adverfaries did manage their cruel craft, and crafty cruelty, in murdering those fervants. of God, much after the fame methods that ours do; except that they are many ftages outdone by their fuc ceffors; as much as perfect artists do outstrip the

rude

1

rude beginnings of apprentices. But, on the oother hand, the fufferers in our day, that would fol low the example of thofe worthies under Popery, would be much condemned by this generation, even by them that commend the matter of their teftimony, though they will not allow the manner of it to be imitated in this day. The adverfaries of Chrift, in this and that generation, are more like than his confef fors and witnesses are. The adverfaries then, when constrained by diverfions of the time's troubles, or when their defigns were not ripe, pretended more moderation and averfation from feverity; but no fooner got they opportunity, (which always they fought), but fo foon they renewed the battle against Jefus Chrift; fo now when they had feven abominations in their hearts, and many curfed designs in their heads, they always fpoke faireft; fo now: when they had a mind to execute their cruelty, they would refolve before hand whom to pitch upon before conviction; fo now: and when fo refolved, the leaft pretence of a fault, obnoxious to their wicked law, would ferve their defign; fo now they used then to forge articles, and falfely mifrepresent their anfwers, and declarations of their principles; fo now. Yet, on the other hand, if now poor fufferers fhould glory in that they are counted worthy to fuffer fhame for the name of Christ, as they did then; if now they fhould fuffer with as great chearfulness, for the smallest points as for the greateft heads, as they did then, who endured the flames as gallantly, for eating a goofe upon Friday, as others did for the doctrine of juftification, or purgatory, or indulgences, or worshipping of images and faints; if now they should speak for every truth in queftion, with all fimplicity and plainnefs, without referves or fhifts declining a teftimony, as they did; if they fhould fu perfede from all application to their enemies for favour, and not meddle with either petitioning or bonding with them, as they did; nay, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better refurrection :

then

then they might expect the fevere cenfure of ignorant and precife fools, as the most part who fuffer now are

counted.

III. That they flood aloof from every appearance of a base compliance with them; not fo much as to give them an interpretative fign of it; which, in their meaning, might be thought a recantation, though, abstractly confidered, it might be capable of a more favourable conftruction; as the required burning of their bill was; which might have been thought a condemning of their accufations; but because that was not their adverfaries fenfe of it, they durft not do it. Not like many now a-days, who will not be folicitous to confult that. Neither would they take any of their oaths, not pay any of their ecclefiaftical exactions, as we find in the articles brought in against the Lollards of Kyle, Knox's Hiftory of Reformation. These things are easily complied with now: and fuch as will fuffer upon fuch things are condemned.

IV. That while the love of God and his bleffed truth, and the precepts, promife, and prefence of our Lord Jefus Chritt, did enable them unto all patience with joy, in a paffive teftimony, being by the call of a clear and neceffary providence fent and fet forth to be his witneffes; they did not indeed endeavour any refiftance: yet we find they never refigned nor abandoned that first and most just privilege of refiftance; nay, nor bringing public beafts of prey to condign punishment, in an extraordinary way of vindictive juftice, for the murder of the faints. As, upon the murder of Mr. George Wifhart, was done with Cardinal Beaton, who was flain in the tower of St. Andrew's by James Melvin : who, perceiving his conforts in the enterprize moved with paffion, withdrew them, and faid, This work and judgment of 'God, although it be fecret, ought to be done with greater gravity. And, prefenting the point of the fword to the Cardinal, faid, Repent thee of thy for'mer wicked life, but efpecially of the fhedding of E

the