A Testimony to the Doctrine and Government of the Church of Scotland, Part 1 – Part 2
A Brief Account of what paſſed betwixt the Council and Mr. John Dick upon the Fourth Day of March 1684, being the Day before he Suffered.
MR. John Dick, who was Inſtrumental of and Acceſſary to, your Eſcaping out of Priſon? Where have you Haunted, and with whom have ye Frequented, ſince that time? My Lords, if ye had no other to Enquire at then me, ye might have cauſed take me from the Court of Guard to the Gibbet. Do ye own and adhere to all your former Actings? I both own and adhere to all that I have done in the Vindication of my Principles, and in the Reproving, if not the Converting of Christs Enemies, either with my Tongue or Pen, and am willing to Seal the ſame with my Deareſt Blood.
Follows an Account of what paſſed betwixt the Lords of Justiciar…, and Mr. John Dick, when his Sentence was reintimate to him, the next Day after he was taken.
THE Lords hearing of it, being Conveened he was brought from the Tolbooth, and put in the Pannel before them, to whom he gave a Bow, and ſo the Clerk at the Command of the Lords Cryed to the Macer ſaying, Macer Command Silence, then they called Mr. John Dick, to whom he Anſwered here I am, and ſo the Clerk Read as follows. Mr. John Dick now standing in the Pannel, having been apprehended before to wit in Auguſt last, and having been ſeveral times before the Lords of Council and Juſticiary; was Sentenced, and Commanded upon the fifth Day of September 1683, to be Hanged at the Graſs Mercat of Edinburgh upon the 26th. of of that instant, but the ſaid Mr. John Dick having Broken the Toolbooth of th…s Brugh upon the 16th. of that inſtant, and ſeveral others with him, and ſo made his Eſcape before the time that he ſhould have been Hanged, and he being apprehended and now ſtanding in the Pannel theſe are to Warrand, Authorize, Command and Charge, the Magistrates of this Burgh, to Cauſe Carefuly Conduct him to the ſaid Graſs-Mercat of Edinburgh to Morrow, between two and four in the Afternoon, and there to be Hanged up till he be Dead, under the pain of the Act. &c.
At the hearing of which, he gave a Bow to the Lords and ſaid, now my Lords, the Sentence that your Lordſhips paſſed upon me both before and now, is both unreaſonable and unjuſt, and contrar to the Laws of this Nation; however, it is very welcome to me upon Chriſt's Account. But I remember two things that I demanded before, and now I demand them again. The firſt was, That the great Jehovah is Judge of Heaven and Earth, and that all the Kings and Princes therein are but his Deputes and Servants, this was granted me before. The Second was, That the Scriptures are the Supream Law, and that all the Laws of this Nation and all other Nations are to be regulate thereby, and ſtrike and Vail their Capes to this, this they refuſed me before, and now I demand it again, but he got no Anſwer: So he cryed, now my Lords, I take the Great GOD to Witneſs, and each of your Conſciences to Witneſs againſt your ſelves, and all of you, and the reſt of this multitude to Witneſs againſt you that hears me, that ye have again refuſed me this to grant it to me, and tho ye have judged me once before and now again unjuſtly: Yet remember, that at one Day GOD will Judge you, and Reviving my Blood, and the Blood of all my Brethren that has been ſhed unjuſtly, and they cryed that they would take him away and not ſuffer him to ſpeak any longer, ſo he rapped upon the Breaſt of the Pannel and cryed out, (GOD even my GOD) ſhall Judge you as ye have Judged me, and that ye ſhall find, but GOD forgive you, and I forgive you, if it be agreeable to his Eternal Decree, and ſo he was taken away, crying as he went to the Door of the Outter Houſe, ſaying, well I am refuſed of that which none but Heathens could have refuſed me of, but I bliſs the LORD for it, and many of my Chriſtian Friends knows my Mind of theſe things, and others may know it when I am gone.
Followes his Words and Carraige in the Laigh Council Houſe, that Afternoon he came from the Tolbooth, before he went to the Scaffold, as was there preſent, after the Reading of the Sentence, Mr. Ramſay one of the Miniſters of the Old Kirk of Edinburgh, offered to Pray to him, to whom he Replyed. Sir how dare you preſume, or how dare you have the Confidence to pray in my Preſence, ſince ye are Fighting againſt GOD, and Perſecuting Chriſt in his Members ye have not only Abjured the Covenant, but is Murdering the Souls of the LORD's people, and to Crown all your Abjured ones, and Abominations: Have he not taken that Abominable Test. Mr. Ramſay Anſwers, Well Sir, will ye pray your ſelf then, Yes if the Bailie ſuffer me I will, if ye will promiſe to make no Reflections in Prayer; But he Anſwered, that he would make no ſuch promiſes; But ſaid he, whatſoever GOD gives me to pray, that will I pray. And ſo the Baillie again, Refuſed to ſuffer him, if he would not promiſe, not to have any Reflections in Prayer, but he Anſwered as before; But Mr. Ramſay preſſed the Baillie to give him Liberty to pray, and he began to pray thus. (O Lord God, the Great God, and my Covenanted God, and the Covenanted God of Scotland; For Chriſts Sake, come with Deliverance to thy Church and People, and help them, Vindicate and make great thy Glory. And ſo the Bailie cryed to take him away.